We Live in Time is a new romantic drama directed by Nick Crowley which is set to be released in 2024. The movie shot with Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, gives Pugh a chance to try her hand at non-linear storytelling, exploring love, loss, time, and everything in between. The film follows two strangers, Almut and Tobias who meet each other at an unfortunate bus stand scenario and go on to fall in love.
Unlike traditional love stories that flow in a singular fashion, We Live in Time focuses on the many ways our memories work, and jumps through the couple’s life while also capturing the self-sacrifice that deep-rooted love brings as challenges arises. The filmmakers’ unique blend sadness paired with every angle of hand-held camera adds raw emotion that urges us to face the question of what it means to truely love someone forever.
At the start of the movie, the protagonist Almut is an aspiring French-Bavarian chef who quite literally runs into a world of corporate food. Almut gets into an unfortunate car accident with Tobias which is both awkward and humorous. This throws the audience into the comedic side but in fact portray a deeper bond connecting the two. After fighting a dangerous cat, Almut clenches victory and triumphantly begins to embrace mundane life which leads up to the two of them falling in love as they indulge in cooking which guarantees both of them a side to explore and showcase their passion.
The film subverts expectations the moment it begins to jump around in time. We watch them deal with the intricacies of the home, the challenges of work, and the ebbs and flows of romance. One of the central conflicts within the family is whether to have children or not. Tobias wishes to have children; Almut is apprehensive, as she may lose her autonomy. These differences create a rift which leads to them separating for a while.
Despite reconciling, life presents yet another devastating blow when Almut is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. After a hysterectomy, it looks as if the cancer is in remission and, against the odds, Almut starts to show signs of pregnancy. Their daughter, Ella, fills their lives with new joy and, in return, the couple seem to achieve some form of harmony between nurturing and self achievement.
Time marches on. Almut’s cancer makes a comeback, but now the prognosis is far worse. Instead of focusing on treatment, and prolonging her life, Almut decides to spend her remaining time meaningfully—training for one of the world’s most esteemed cooking competitions, the Bocuse d’Or. She aims to forge a legacy—not only for her career but also for Ella. The film ends on a somber yet bittersweet note as Tobias reminisces with their daughter, teaching her how to crack an egg, a simple act that represents Almut’s enduring influence.
Performance and The Chemistry
As Almut, Florence Pugh gives a breathtaking performance with her subdued emotional range, as a woman trying to claim her life amid love, sickness, and motherhood. Almut was not depicted as a tragic figure; Pugh gives life to a woman who is strong, clever, and deeply human.
Andrew Garfield matches Pugh’s emotional depth, as he subtly yet beautifully portrays Tobias. Toby is a figure trapped in an unfulfilled existence, emotionally overstrained by the need to remain strong while watching his beloved slowly die and, at the same time, being there for their child. His tenderness is never acted, which makes his dynamic with Pugh feel genuine.
Both actors are able to transcend the film’s confines and restrictions It is striking how effortlessly and convincingly the two of them portray a complex relationship filled with shared simple details, silences, powerful gazes, playful banter, and suppressed anguish.
Direction and Cinematic Style
John Crowley is known for soft filmic touches in storytelling and drama, and here serves as the director. He allows the story to unfold in bits, which is characteristic of his work, with sufficient emotional depth, and the nonlinear structure feels more natural than disjointed. The skips in time are not clichés, but instead snapshots of memories, mimicking how people tend to remember life out of sequence in transformative, significant, and negative moments.
The cinematography does not draw attention to itself but is still powerful. The use of soft light combined with close up shots uncluttered by visible props evokes realistic lifeworlds which are accessible on emotional levels. Scenes quietly blend with one another: urban alleyways and streets, calm warm kitchens, hospital wards, and competitive cooking – spaces that reflect different and important life stages.
Dessner’s score captures both melancholy and hope. Using gentle piano and ambient strings to frame critical moments, the score captures the film’s tone without overwhelming it.
Themes and Symbolism
Love, the permanence of things, the ever-flowing river they call time, and meaning through loss are central themes for We Live in Time. The film title conveys its underlying message best: life is not lived in grand tapestries, but rather in shards stitched together through tendrils of memories and brief moments of interplay.
Cooking—and later teaching their daughter—turns into an act of nurturing, love, and legacy. Bocus d’Or is not a professional milestone for Almut; it’s a metaphysical quest symbolizing the will to leave behind a part of her essence even as she withers.
The cracking of an egg serves as a recurrent motif throughout the work, symbolizing life’s tender balance of vulnerability and potential, creation, and fragility.
Reception
Reception was fairly balanced, given that critics applauded the acting from Pugh and Garfield while also noting the chemistry between the two as one of the film’s more highlighted positive features. Audiences appreciated the emotional depth alongside the respectful portrayal of illness, grief, and partnership.
The film did, however, receive its fair share of critique. Some viewers perceived the non-linear sequential order of the film as confusing and at points, over the top. Others believed the story, while powerful in emotion, ventured into common ground and relied far too much on the ‘terminal illness’ narrative for sympathy.
Withstanding the criticisms, the film carried deep emotional weight resonating alongside graceful directing and the sincerity of the love story at the center of it all.
Conclusion
In We Live in Time, the sorrow and beauty of life shared between two individuals is captured within a reflective, and tender film. There are no extreme dramatic surprises or unnecessary heartfelt gestures intended to evoke emotion; instead, the reliance is on the power of its characters and the genuineness of the feelings. The unfolding of events non-chronologically, along with gripping performances and powerful themes, makes one realize that while time is limited, love echoes eternally.
For the readers who love stories which integrate elements such as grief, joy, and even illness, Will Live In Time offers an extraordinary cathartic experience. It is a film that touches the complexity of relationships and the beauty found in their transience.
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