Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield are both beloved actors and well respected across generations. When pictures from the set were released on social media showing that they would be starring in a romance film together, fans grew excited at the idea. The trailer further boosted enthusiasm, as it painted the film as one to bring your tissues to.
These assumptions are correct, as the emotions and the story of the couple makes a good movie that’s worth seeing. Releasing on Oct. 11, the emotional appeal of “We Live in Time” was greater than promised, but it still struggled to prove consistently excellent throughout the film.
The film tells the story of a young couple, Almut and Tobias, played by Pugh and Garfield respectively. Through a nonlinear narrative, director John Crowley creates an intimate look at the couple throughout the ultimately tragic course of their relationship.
When they discover Almut is diagnosed with cancer, the couple must navigate their newfound obstacle while battling individual passions, raising a family and making important life decisions.
Where the movie is triumphant is the emotional impact. A lot of sad romantic films choose to take on the trope of one of the partners getting diagnosed with cancer, but this film is different from its counterparts.
It’s memorable, charming and does a good job in helping the audience care about the outcome of the characters. It is easy to follow, has good pacing and counters the sob stories with good doses of comedy to occasionally lighten the mood.
The trailer does not do Pugh and Garfield’s romantic chemistry justice. Not only do their individual talents shine, but as partners they are both believable and inspirational. They portray true love in such a pure, heartfelt way that, no matter how many production issues come into play, their relationship alone is worth watching and experiencing for yourself.
Despite the beautiful nature of the film, it is nowhere near perfect. The writing itself is either cringey or not properly built up. Whenever the film introduces a conflict between Almut and Tobias, it feels improperly or unrealistically handled.
Luckily, the actors did a great job with the material they were given, but the lack of believable conflicts and the unoriginal dialogue did not utilize the Oscar nominated acting prowess of Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh well.
The plotlines also put a damper on the film and try to make the characters unlikable. Without spoilers, Almut’s selfish storyline as the film progresses is not only aggravating, and perhaps unnecessary, but takes away from the purpose of the film: how a couple overcomes adversity together. Additionally, the use of nonlinear storytelling is distracting, takes away suspense and makes the ending predictable.
Though the movie is intimate in the way it gives its audience incredibly personal moments within the couple’s life, the sex scenes don’t hold the same tone. They are improperly built up and random with a lack of tension. Not that they seem necessarily exploitative, but these qualities and the bad music choice takes away from the so-advertised loving look of these moments. The movie would be better off without those scenes in it.
Overall, despite the screenwriting and sex scenes, the movie is one of the better films currently featured in theaters. The ending is so well done that it ties a bow around the prettily wrapped film, leaving you not with the memory of the flaws, but with the story of love between Almut and Tobias.
“We Live in Time” is now playing in theaters.
