‘We Live in Time’ Review

The beauty of John Crowley’s films is the grandiosity and scale that he’s able to bring to a love story. His 2015 Oscar-nominated masterpiece, Brooklyn, turned the decision to be with someone a choice that knowingly would define the future of its main character’s life, while his 2019 adaptation of The Goldfinch was a flawed but ambitious example of the life-altering power of a mother’s love. Crowley’s latest film, We Live in Time, also turns a powerful yet relatively simple love story—with all its twists, turns, and the unpredictability that life brings us—into a grand piece of romance. There’s nothing more daring than giving yourself entirely to another person, and Crowley shows that in all its heartbreaking glory with his latest.

What Is ‘We Live in Time’ About?

Within the opening minutes of We Live in Time, we already start to see the scope of this relationship between Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield). Almut, a renowned and enterprising chef, wakes up Tobias to share her latest creation. There’s a pure joy in her sharing what she loves with him, and before he even opens his eyes, Tobias has a smile on his face from Almut’s presence. Nick Payne’s script then jumps us to Almut’s pregnancy, then takes us to the two discovering Almut has cancer. After this, we then go back again to when these two first met. We Live in Time follows three different timelines: their beginning, their pregnancy, and the pair struggling with cancer. By focusing on these three periods, Crowley and Payne give us a love at its best and its worst, and by the end, we truly feel like we’ve seen a life shared and fully realized.

Payne’s audacious structuring of this story is never a struggle. Crowley does an excellent job of ensuring that we always know which period we’re in with these two, but also plays with the possibilities of this structure that enhance this relationship greatly. For example, early on in the courtship process, Tobias broaches the idea of having a kid with Almut. He knows he’s falling deeply in love with her, but the way he brings up the conversation pisses off Almut. Tobias wants to have a child and Almut doesn’t think having a kid is necessarily for her, leading to their first major fight.

And yet, we already know this story ends with these two having a child together. But even more important is that Crowley soon after shows us a moment where Tobias has to break big news to Almut, and instead of going off the cuff like he did with the baby conversation, he now knows its important for him to have a plan when discussing such big things with Almut, as he plans a big show of his affection, and takes copious amounts of notes to deal with the situation. It’s a small touch, but a beautiful one at that. The unusual way of telling this love story allows us to see the evolution of this relationship in delightful ways that wouldn’t have the same impact in a more straightforward love story.

Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield are Tremendous in ‘We Live in Time’

But this love story succeeds because of the excellent performances by Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield. We rarely see these two before meeting, where Almut accidentally hits Tobias with her car while he’s trying to finalize his divorce, but that’s because this isn’t a story about either one of them on their own, but rather, about the life of this entire relationship. We know Almut lived an impressive life before she met Tobias, while Tobias has already had to struggle through one relationship, yet Crowley and Payne’s story smartly prioritizes their moments together and little else. All that matters is this bond and who it made them into, not who they were before meeting each other.

So much of what we need to know about this couple comes through in that opening scene. Almut goes into her garden and picks her ingredients, creating an unexpected dish before Tobias has even awoken. Meanwhile, Tobias finds comfort and purpose in being there with Almut, always there to support her in her endeavors and choices. Pugh and Garfield are phenomenal in showing this relationship in these three distinct periods. Their energy and connection is electric, and it’s clear from their first interactions that there’s something special there.

John Crowley Knows How to Make Love Feel Grand in Scale

But another beautiful part of what makes We Live in Time work so well is the presentation of everything that a strong relationship can be. Pugh and Garfield are both adorable and sexy together when they need to be, and watching them be playful and goofy together only endears us more to this bond. But maybe most important is how the film shows how much love is about being there for your true best friend. When times get hard and the future is uncertain, Tobias knows how to matter-of-factly structure their conversations to ease the worry they have to reckon with. Meanwhile, part of Almut’s arc is trying to reckon with her own personal ambitions while existing within the framework of this coupling. As someone who has been far more independent than Tobias, she often struggles with being part of a partnership. But the way these two balance each other’s strengths and weaknesses is irresistible in how Pugh and Garfield handle this dynamic.

And yet, despite the tragedy we know is looming ahead for Almut and Tobias, We Live in Time never falls into the trappings of more conventional, saccharine love story, begging the audience for their tears. Instead of trying to make his audience cry, Crowley is showing us the power and beauty of a life shared, and even if this could be taken away from them, it’s about how they use the time they have together that’s spectacular. Soon after her diagnosis, as Almut is struggling with how she wants to proceed with treatment, she tells Almut that she’d rather have six great months with him, making memories and being proactive, than have a year of suffering that could lead to her death. At its core, We Live in Time is all about how we make the most of the precious time we have left on this Earth, who we spend it with, and making those memories that last long after we fade away. As with Brooklyn and The Goldfinch, Crowley knows how to perfectly present the idea that love can alter the future, and he does so brilliantly again here.

We Live in Time, even though we know where this story is heading from early on, is all about joy. Even at the worst moments, Crowley’s film manages to be funny, unexpected, and delightful in every step of the way. This isn’t a film about mourning loss, it’s about celebrating life. With Pugh and Garfield leading this tremendous love story, We Live in Time becomes one of the best movie romances in years, and proves that few filmmakers can present the power of love quite like Crowley can.

We Live in Time had its World Premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. It comes to theaters in the U.S. starting October 11. Click below for showtimes near you.

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