Often, love stories caught on film present an account of either the beginning of a relationship (concluding with a loving embrace and the promise of happily ever after) or the end, courtesy of a heartbreaking betrayal, a tragic death or simply, two people growing apart. Rarely, though, are we given an opportunity to view the full lifespan of a relationship.
By jumping across timelines, director John Crowley's We Live in Time grants audiences a full 365-degree perspective of Tobias (Andrew Garfield) and Almut's (Florence Pugh) love. Although the movie's trailer gives away the goods on their meet-cute and the ultimate cause of their dissolution as a couple, to view the film without any knowledge of where their story goes is to experience false assumptions that lead to heartwarming revelations.
Nothing in We Live in Time bucks the romance genre, as we watch Tobias and Almut fall in love and face the typical challenges couples encounter, but there's a gentle beauty that permeates the film that provides for an incredibly satisfying viewing experience — and this is mostly down to Garfield and Pugh.
Two young actors who have proven themselves across a variety of roles and genres, Garfield and Pugh come together to deliver one of the most natural couplings I've seen on screen in years. Almut's hair and makeup changes throughout denote a physical marker for audiences to follow, but even without this aesthetic compass, Garfield and Pugh's defined and subtle performances provide all the direction we need to differentiate the timeline jumps. Although both are given moments of drama to create on-screen flourishes, it's the quiet moments that make this film special.
Screenwriter and playwright Nick Payne penned the script for this film and, similar to his stage plays Constellations and Sea Wall/A Life, We Live in Time is filled with emotion without being melodramatic. Payne's screenwriting plays to the nuances within a relationship, where each furtive glance and conversation carries layers of meaning.
In spite of the heavy circumstances Tobias and Almut find themselves in, We Live in Time offers a joyous tonic that feels lived in and alive.
The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival runs September 5–15. Get information about tickets and screening at TIFF's website.