Spoiler warning: Major plot points ahead.
Romance films can either have one of two outcomes in its conclusion: a tragic ending of the couple being split up or the couple ending up happily ever after. John Crowley’s “We Live in Time” (2024) falls in the former category but still feels endearing when the end credits roll.
“We Live in Time” tells the story of Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) and how they met each other, started a romantic relationship and a family before it was stopped because Almut was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer.
The film is told in a nonlinear style of storytelling, jumping from points in the past before Almut and Tobias meet each other to them anticipating their first and only child.
In flashbacks, the audience sees that Almut used to live alone while Tobias lived with his father. Almut works as a Bavarian fusion chef for a fancy restaurant while Tobias works as a representative for Weetabix, a cereal company based in the United Kingdom.
One night, Tobias goes to a local store to buy pens so that he can sign divorce papers from his wife. On his way to his hotel room, he drops his purchases in the street. As he walks into traffic to retrieve them, Almut’s car suddenly hits and knocks him unconscious.
After meeting at the hospital, Almut takes Tobias to a local diner. She then invites Tobias and his wife to the restaurant she works at, but Tobias shows up alone after the divorce. The two grow closer and even live together.
Tobias later expresses his interest in starting a family with Almut, but she rebuffs him. Tobias leaves, but he recognizes he was in the wrong for looking ahead. He sneaks into a baby shower at Almut’s flat to apologize, and the two reconcile.
The story then focuses on Tobias and Almut trying to conceive their first child. It jumps to the present, exploring how they should tell their child Almut is sick and how to go about her cancer diagnosis.
“We Live in Time” is a film that will likely take many by surprise. It stars two of Hollywood’s current famous actors but is not a big tentpole production. It is a simple yet outstanding movie about the importance of a couple understanding the value in making the most of the time they have together.
The performances from both Pugh and Garfield are phenomenal. Throughout the film, Pugh’s Almut fulfills a more patriarchal role in the family than Garfield’s Tobias does.
The writing and performance of Almut makes her someone who wants to bring life into the world. Almut wants her little girl to be inspired and proud of her mom’s life experiences as a chef. Almut cannot stand the thought of being forgotten and manages to satisfy herself and her family in the end.
Garfield as Tobias is a role viewers have not seen him in before. Tobias has a good mix of expressing masculinity and femininity. Almut loves Tobias for who he is, and Tobias wants his relationship to go a certain way with Almut. However, he is upset when it changes but realizes the change is for the best.
Bryce Dessner’s original score composition was also done well. Dessner offers several beautiful melodies, but some are used too frequently and come across as emotionally manipulative.
Few romance films utilize nonlinear storytelling, but the technique is utilized extremely well in the movie. The audience will not be confused about where they are in the story.
“We Live in Time” is one of the year’s finest limited released dramas. If this film catches your attention, it is a great idea to see it in a theater with a pack of tissues with you.
