Reviews

Get your tissues at the ready because Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield will have you sobbing during We Live in Time.

This romance drama, directed by Brooklyn’s John Crowley, follows top chef Almut (Pugh) as she embarks on a relationship with divorced Weetabix executive Tobias (Garfield) after the unlikeliest of encounters.

The film is called We Live in Time but the story is actually told out of time, or out of chronological order. The story of their life is told in chapters presented out of sequence, meaning their chance encounter is not the first section we see.

This structure is frustrating at first because it moves around in time a lot and you have no idea where those pieces fit in the grand scheme of things. Naturally, as the puzzle pieces slowly come together, it becomes easier to understand the context for each sequence and you can mentally slot each one into its correct place on the timeline.

However, because it stretches over many years and it can’t cover everything, some moments get lost in the time jumps, such as the progression of Almut’s declining health and her decision-making process about having or not having children.

Because of the unusual narrative approach, We Live in Time is not as emotionally hard-hitting as it could have been. Some people will still find it rather moving, but it would have packed more of a punch if it was told in a linear fashion.

Whether you support the structure or not, there’s no denying that Pugh and Garfield work well on screen together. They have wonderful chemistry and are believable as a couple and they are both excellent at balancing the funny moments with the emotional ones. This delightful pairing made up for some of the dialogue that didn’t feel realistic.

We Live in Time feels like it’s written or directed by Richard Curtis – even though it’s not – because it tells a very wholesome and very British romance story.

In cinemas from Wednesday 1st January.

© Cover Media