Hi Readers,
The cinema, for me, is normally a place for big blockbusters or films I know will look good on the big screen. Nothing has caught my eye for a few months so when I saw that the new Florence Pugh/Andrew Garfield film was in cinemas where I currently am, I decided to check it out.
What separates it from the usual affair is that the film is not told in chronological order. The typical story structure is beginning, middle and ending but this film played around with it making it different from what could have been a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy. The love story of Almut and Tobias jumps around various events in their relationship. We don’t get much of their lives without each other apart from a focus on Almut’s profession as a chef and Tobias after his divorce.
I thought that this idea was interesting and while I am usually an advocate for stories being told in the right order with accuracy, I didn’t mind the time jumping as there was no true story details missing or big plot details absent. It did take me a minute to get used to it but when you were invested, I felt that you could enjoy the scenes individually that contributed to their story as a whole rather than the film showing the plot in the specific order. As the film becomes older, I am sure someone will edit it into the traditional order as I have seen happen to other film or TV programmes that like to jump around the timelines.
We Live in Time (2024)
This film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival a couple of months ago and will be released in the UK on New Year’s Day. However it is already in the cinema in some territories such as the US. It was also shown at this year’s BFI London Film Festival. When I saw it was showing early where I am, I was excited to see something from the festivals as I was not able to attend any screenings at the London Film Festival this year.
Ordinarily, I tend to wait for romantic comedies to come on streaming or watch ones that debut there but I do like to make exceptions. If there had been other more cinematic films out at the same time, it might not have made my list but with the chatter from various press and the meme about the carousel horse on the poster, I was intrigued.
Florence Pugh is an actress I have followed for a few years since she starred in the Oscar-winning Little Women and Fighting with my Family that was set and filmed in my home town. She is a very interesting and dynamic actress who says so much with slight expressions on her face. I have loved her in Dune: Part 2; Black Widow; Oppenheimer and Don’t Worry Darling and her other projects such as The Little Drummer Girl, The Boy and the Heron and Midsommar are well-liked.
Her performance in We Live in Time was good for the role as she presented the many sides to her character: the girlfriend; the chef; the competitor; the daughter; the mother; the figure skater and the cancer patient. She was not someone who was going to be content with settling down and being a doting housewife so it was great to see a focus on her career and journey as Almut. The one thing I struggled with was seeing her as mid 30s up to mid 40s as there wasn’t much to age her up apart from a fringe and winged eyeliner in her younger days. This wasn’t too much of an issue as I enjoyed the film but I would have maybe given her a few more facial lines.
Andrew Garfield was almost a supporting second to Florence. Most of their scenes were shared and apart from just before their meeting, we don’t have many scenes of Andrew alone. We learn he works for Weetabix but only get a glimpse of his job and never meet his friends or family apart from his father. We get to meet Almut’s mother, twin brothers, sister and many of her friends and co-workers. This film plays to Andrew’s strengths as the awkward, quiet guy who we’ve seen him play in The Amazing Spider-Man and tick, tick… BOOM! I did think that he was maybe a little old to play opposite Florence as a 40 year old but he has quite a young energy to him. I like that his character Tobias was very encouraging of Almut’s dreams and despite their arguments, he still supported her especially at the end with her chef aspirations.
The film was quite a gentle one peppered with some emotional or dramatic scenes such as their daughter’s birth in the petrol station bathroom. I think these scenes are good to set off the slower or sadder scenes in films like these. The cancer element added an extra level that you don’t see in typical American rom-coms/ chick flicks.
The director’s other films, Brooklyn and The Goldfinch had similar emotional peaks that gave them an edge over standard dramas. I thought this film was very British in its nature with many phrases and situations being very intrinsic to the British experience so I think audiences who have enjoyed other British films like Notting Hill (1999) and Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) would enjoy this one too.
I thought the film was well thought out and despite being told in a different order, it still made sense and it was sometimes good to know what was coming as it made the sadder scenes more hopeful. The music and settings all fitted in well and even though many of the supporting characters floated in and out there were known actors that were good such as Lee Braithwaite who played Almut’s commis chef; Kerry Godliman in the petrol station scene; Douglas Hodge as Tobias’ father and Adam James as Almut’s mentor/former boss.
Overall, I thought the film was enjoyable with a great cast and a lovely story. It will definitely be one in the future that audiences will put on at home on a cosy winter’s evening to watch. It does have minimal nudity so is marked as a 15 but along the same vein as Love Actually (2003) so not particularly intense or graphic. I give it 4.5/5.
Happy Watching,
Robyn