WE LIVE IN TIME

 

You put Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh in your film and you know damn well there's going to be an insane amount of buzz surrounding it. Obviously the infamous carousel horse featured on the poster that got memed to death took some of the spotlight, but Garfield and Pugh are just so hot right now in Hollywood. John Crowley's We Live in Time knows this and delivers a romantic drama that packs an emotional punch.

Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) are brought together by a surprise encounter that changes their lives. As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of their unconventional love story.

When it comes to telling a story like this, it's always appreciated when a different approach is taken to at least try and make it stand out. We Live in Time utilises a non-linear narrative wonderfully to tell a love story full of laughs and emotion, Nick Payne knitting it all together rather neatly with his writing. It'd be easy for the film's narrative to become tangled as this is attempted yet Payne brings a flow to the film with relevant scenes following on from one another - every moment in their relationship means something within the scene that follows, making this such an endearing experience. John Crowley's choice to present the narrative in this manner is one to be appreciated, his direction deft yet powerful when it needs to be.

The film deals with some serious subject matters and thankfully doesn't present them in an emotionally manipulative manner. It could be argued that there's a bit of a sugar-coating to proceedings yet I never felt that to be the case. In fact, the film does a great job in holding back a scene we all thought was inevitably coming. Instead, the film closes with a beautifully staged scene that tells you all you need to know. It doesn't need the grandstand finish to evoke the emotions, it gets there by harking back to things previously mentioned, and the results are equally as devastating. In this regard, the film is actually surprisingly more subtle than expected. It's not all doom and gloom mind, humour scattered throughout in all the right places, meaning the central relationship feels far more relatable as a result.

The main attraction (in many ways) of We Live in Time is the central relationship brought to life through a pair of great performances from Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh. Their chemistry is totally off the charts and they just make it all look it so easy, you just know the film is in safe hands with the pair of them. They both sure as hell can deliver an emotional performance when required, which it certainly is here, yet it's their comedic ability that captures the heart of their relationship so well. I could have easily watched these two share the screen for hours more. There's also a cute performance from Grace Delaney as their daughter, Ella - her presence adding to moments in time that make that ending pack more of a punch.

While John Crowley's We Live in Time certainly isn't a perfect film, the narrative choice made and the insane chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh make it quite irresistible. Oh, it also might weirdly make you crave a bowl of Weetabix.

Verdict: ★★★★½