We Live in Time is about two people in a relationship, seeing each other through the highs and lows. There are no villains, no contrived misunderstandings, no overblown declarations of love, no love triangles, no climatic rushes to the airport, etc. Just Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh living their lives. It’s so simple. In a genre that often relies on formulas, simple can be surprisingly fascinating. The same can be said about John Crowley’s previous romantic drama, 2015’s Brooklyn. On the heels of that Best Picture nominee, Crawley got lost with The Goldfinch, a convoluted melodrama where none of the emotions felt authentic. Crawley makes a comeback with We Live in Time, which earns every emotion.
Almut (Pugh) meets Tobias (Garfield) after accidentally hitting him with her car. Over the next decade, we watch the couple deal with career aspirations, pregnancy, parenthood, and disease, although not in that order per se. Nick Payne’s screenplay chooses a nonlinear path. For some viewers, this will take a little getting used to, but the narrative structure is faithful to the scattered nature of memories. When you find the love of your life, you’re bound to form core memories. Reflecting on the relationship, you’re unlikely to remember everything chronologically. The film is like a scrapbook as we browse through snapshots of Tobias and Almut’s fleeting time together.
It’s not a spoiler to say that Almut gets ovarian cancer, as the couple receives the diagnosis early on. The film easily could’ve veered into manipulative territory, but We Live in Time tackles its difficult subject matter with maturity. As Tobias solely focuses on Almut’s health, she becomes fixated on her legacy. Almut wants to be remembered when she’s gone. Part of this is ego-driven, but Almut also wants her daughter to know that she accomplished something in life. Just being a mother isn’t enough for her. Although that sounds harsh, it’s also honest. While Tobias and Almut aren’t always open with each other, they do have adult conversations. Whether repressing or unleashing what’s inside, the relationship feels real.
While much of the credit must go to Payne’s script, We Live in Time wouldn’t have worked without its two leads. From Emma Stone in The Amazing Spider-Man movies to Alexandra Shipp in Tick, Tick… Boom!, Garfield always has chemistry with his equally charming co-stars. We Live in Time is no exception with Pugh also adding to her hot streak of winning performances. Garfield and Pugh may be movie stars, but we have no trouble buying them as an everyday couple. Even when the film risks becoming sitcom-esque during a birthing sequence, the performances make the situation seem believable. The leads are precious without being cloying and raw without trying too hard to make us cry.
That said, We Live in Time is a tear-jerker. I won’t say how the story ends, but the homestretch perfectly embodies the film’s themes of racing against the clock, savoring the moment, and immortalizing memories. The narrative might jump to different points in Tobias and Almut’s relations. Yet, everything, from the performances to the dialogue, flows in harmony. Where so many modern love stories feel dated on arrival, this cast and crew have made something truly timeless.