User reviews

The Nonlinear Structure: A Double-Edged Sword

We Live in Time makes a bold narrative choice by employing a nonlinear structure. While it adds complexity to the story, making it feel like a series of fragmented memories or dreamlike flashbacks, it comes at the cost of emotional connection. The constant jumping between different moments in the relationship prevents the audience from fully immersing themselves in key events. As a result, some pivotal moments feel rushed and we miss the chance to truly absorb the emotions and consequences of certain scenes. A more linear approach might have allowed for deeper connection.

Almut's Career: A Missed Opportunity

One of the elements I found missing in We Live in Time was a deeper dive into Almut's career as a chef. We're told that cooking is her passion, but the film doesn't spend much time exploring why this is so important to her. What sacrifices did she make to get where she is? What role does cuisine play in her identity, and how does it conflict with her personal struggles? By not focusing more on this aspect, the film misses an opportunity to add depth to her character. It would have helped to not only connect the viewer more to her journey but also to make her internal conflict about balancing career and family feel more urgent and relatable.

Product Placement: A Bite of Distraction

Let's talk about the Weetabix moments. When the product literally becomes part of the conversation, it feels like the movie just took a quick break to sell us breakfast. It's the kind of moment that makes you wonder, "How much did Weetabix pay for this?" It didn't ruin the film, but I definitely could've done without the mid-movie snack ad.

Strong Performances Hold it Together

Despite its shortcomings, We Live in Time is held together by the incredible performances of Garfield and Pugh. Their chemistry alone makes the film worth watching. Both actors manage to convey raw emotion with depth, carrying the weight of the film's emotional core.

Conclusion

In the end, We Live in Time isn't a revolutionary film, but it is a heartfelt one. It's a deeply personal story of love, time, and loss, and while it doesn't always land every emotional beat, it still offers moments of real beauty. If you're a fan of character-driven romances and strong performances, this film is worth a watch.

Never has the gap between my expectations and the actual impact of the film been so vast. The possibilities were so high with casting two of the greatest actors of our time- and even they could not make the movie have a soul. The writing and soundtrack were totally forgettable, despite Pugh and Garfield putting in great performances of what was available to them. The back and forth timeline made for an incomplete emotional journey, as there was no build up or stakes to be invested in. Both characters fell very flat, and I felt very little emotional investment in them. I had such high hopes and was counting down the days for this film, and was sorely disappointed upon leaving the screening. Hope someone casts the two together in a future film and gives them a better opportunity to create a masterpiece.

I saw it for Andrew Garfield , one of magnificient actors of present , for John Crowley , in memory of their fantastic film Boy A.

And, indeed, We Live in Time is a pure beautiful film. Its first virtue is the kick to viewer to discover his past moments and future perspectives. The second virtue is represented by acting. I do not ignore romance or problems of life together or the knife of near death.

But it is a profound subjective masterpiece for the fine portrait of ages. For message, to. For the honest definition of unique moments of life. And for the fantastic performance of Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield .

So, see it !

This show has a lot going for it.

A fantastic blown out of the water cast.

Beautiful destination locations for shooting.

The two leads have fantastic chemistry. I mean fantastic

It's a love story in the 20th century (rare and desired)

It's dialogue is truly sweet and consistently smile inducing. There are even some good laughs here!

Andrew Garlfields character is especially great.

Although... his character may be great because I feel so much sympathy for the guy. Like sympathy one has for the abused dogs in the Sarah McLaughlin commercials. Why? Because Florence Pughs character walks ALL over this holy sweetheart of a man.

Florence Pughs character takes the role of protagonist in the film. The films fatal flaw is that it makes you hate her. Any emotion I was supposed to have, was washed over with a scathing dislike and head scratching confusion over the writing decisions made. The film starts strong but goes in a sour emotionless direction. Even the films core message is overshadowed by its poor writing that leads it there. All were seen leaving the theater severely unsatisfied.

I just got done watching We Live in Time (2024) and I got to tell you that this is genuinely one of the most emotionally and realistic romance movies I've seen in recent memory.

Positives for We Live in Time (2024): The leading performances from both Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh are phenomenal in this movie. That really isn't surprising given these two have been nominated for Oscars in the past and I hope they both get nominations this year. I appreciated that this movie manage to tell a love story of two strangers falling in love with each other after meeting for the first time in a realistic way. Now don't get me wrong, I do enjoy my fair share of romance movies where the two lovers meet up in the most cynical and ridiculous way possible, but at the same time I do like it when a movie approaches these stories in a more realistic fashion. The things these two character go through in this movie all manage to be heartwarming, devastating and even wholesome depending on what scenes these moments are taking place. I also appreciated that this movie manages to keep the balance during these moments to where they don't feel overly dramatic or overly emotional to the point where it feel like cringe. And finally, I love how the movie's ending manages to avoided the all of the traditional cliches of other romance movies while also giving the audience the satisfaction they want to see in this movie.

Mixed for We Live in Time (2024): While I certainly appreciated the route this movie took with its story, there are going to be some people who are probably going to have a hard time watching this movie. Now to be fair, the movie did achieve its primary goals with the approach, but it also might hit hard for some people who have gone through similar situations in their lives.

Negatives for We Live in Time (2024): I only have one thing to say about this movie in this area and it's very small. This is a movie that I can only see myself watching once and that's it. But, if this element is the only negative with your movie, then that tells you how good your movie is.

Overall, We Live in Time (2024) definitely gave me what I wanted and I couldn't be any happier about that. If Garfield and Pugh don't get nominations for their performances in this movie, then I'll be very disappointed with the Academy. Regardless, if you're looking for a romance movie that feels genuinely realistic with its approach to the story, then this is the movie for you.

Saw this at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

John Crowley crafts a simple and predictable romance story that isn't really anything special, yet, captures a beautifully looking presentation with two strong performances from Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh throughout. Frankly, sometimes, we need to enjoy a simple cheesy romance narrative and We Live in Time checkbooks out of the cheese elements together pretty well. With good music, simple dialogue, and structure, it still holds an emotional connect with it's viewers as the chemistry and banter between the two leads are watchable and good.

Obviously, because of it's predictable style, it does feel a bit long with it's pacing and certain elements may put you to snooze, but as a whole, Crowley's direction and Garfield and Pugh's performance kept it running.

Well, it was definitely an enjoyable film to watch with a lot of other people. Lots of people in the audience laughing and crying. I didn't feel emotionally wrecked - I felt uplifted by the performances I saw - Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh are both wonderful in this film. They are just so good together - a real sense of trust between them. I heard a man exiting festival hall sarcastically saying to his friend 'and she just happened to be a world class chef... ' I didn't mind any of that because I believed her. I don't want to see a film abt normal boring life - I want escapism, romance, something other than my life but based in truth. A domestic drama but between two beautiful people. I'd definitely watch it again - the time flew by.

Some movies don't just entertain-they resonate. They reach into the deepest parts of you and bring something to light that you never even realized was there. This film did exactly that for me, and I can honestly say it has changed my life.

For the longest time, since I was a teenager, I've struggled with fears I couldn't even fully articulate-chief among them was the fear that I might never have children. It's something I always knew I wanted, but I never understood just how deeply, how completely, my heart longed for a family. For years, I wrestled with my own mind-bipolar disorder, overwhelming despair, and countless moments where I thought life wasn't worth continuing.

But as I watched this movie, something shifted. For reasons I still can't entirely explain, it made me realize that no matter how hard things get, no matter how many obstacles lie ahead, I want to live. I want to live not just for myself, but for the dream of building a family one day. That revelation hit me harder than anything else ever has, and it's because of this movie.

The story, the emotions, the way it all unfolds-it's not a perfect film, but its impact on me was. It reminded me that life is worth fighting for, that even in the darkest moments, there is something worth holding onto. I will live. I'll try my best, no matter what, to reach that future I now know I've always wanted.

This movie wasn't just something I watched; it was a turning point. And for that, I'll forever be grateful.

It's been a long time since a film has left me this unsatisfied. This had everything good going, A24 production, amazing leads, beautiful scenery and it just didn't deliver. The writing is terrible. I don't know why they decided to make it a non-linear storytelling but it was more exhausting than interesting, with times changing too fast and the whole story lacking any depth.

Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield were amazing in their roles but their characters were very much unlikeable and also lacked depth.

Wouldn't recommend it, my rating is just for the main actors and the good architecture. I was so ready to weep my eyes out while/after watching this, but nothing came.

It was just as if someone had thrown the scenes up in the air and put the film together in the order that they fell down in. Superb acting but spoilt but disconnected story. Both Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield gave memorable performances. I have seen other films with a non linear plot and can't understand why the filmmakers seem to want to confuse the film goer. I guess I'm not a fan of movies when they have multiple times which jump backwards and forwards. The cinematography was good and polished. The film did not live up to its full potential as the story line was so disconnected. Such a shame!

Like everyone else (it seems), I had quite high expectations for this film - especially given the buzz surrounding the emotional weight and sadness of the movie.

Very sad to report that unfortunately it just didn't translate that well for me. At face value, it's a very simple story with a lot of touching moments and incredible performances, but something still felt missing.

I really wanted to love it. The movie ended and I still thought there was 30-40 minutes left. I guess it literally felt unfinished.

Overall, not a total dud but definitely nothing groundbreaking besides the performances.

Tobias (Andrew Garfield) is hit by a car driven by Almut (Florence Pugh). She stays in the hospital until he wakes up and because - despite having a broken arm and being in a neck brace - he has already been discharged (there are not enough beds available - political comment there!) takes him to dinner. He is newly-divorced, she has just come out of a lesbian relationship. Despite this unpromising beginning, there is mutual attraction and the pair begin a years-long relationship.

The two leads make an engaging couple. Pugh, especially, is easy to accept as the fiery Almut. Garfield plays nice guy Tobias a bit too geeky to be completely believable, but he manages to stay on the right side of annoying (and, if the shapely bare buttocks in the bathroom scene belong to him and not to a body double, he has a very nice bottom - just saying...) No other actors get enough screen time to make an impact, although I was struck at seeing Douglas Hodge playing Tobias' father - twenty or thirty years ago, he would probably have been playing the male lead himself.

This is a good example of a chick flick: romantic, cheesy and leaving not a single dry eye in the house. I am not sure I would watch it again, but I am glad I saw it at least once.

We Live In Time is a fantastic, well-made film filled with humor, heart, and a gut punch of emotional weight. Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield give incredible raw performances that should have plenty of talk come award season. Their chemistry and play off each other really made the film tug at the heart strings.

The story is told well, in a slightly different way than expected that works perfectly for the film. These characters and this world feel real and the film has you invested from the moment it begins.

Pack the tissues and be prepared to be taken on a journey.

We Live In TIme is well worth the time and is one of the year's best films.

We get it, some moviemakers successfully used non-linear storytelling in the past to make some good movies but now it's way over used and overdone to the point of getting old. Now we have directors making their movies non-linear on purpose just to hide poor plot because they know that if they tell their plot in a linear way it will look too simple and boring so they just use non-linear story telling to make their movie appear smarter than it is.

This is one of those movies where you have a pretty plain old storyline full of cliches but the director tries to make up for it by using non-linear storytelling not to mention using a couple super popular actors but the movie is pretty bad overall and it doesn't really work.

Director John Crowley's latest venture, "We Live in Time," weaves a narrative that's as intricate as it is emotionally resonant. This film, which focuses on the tumultuous journey of love against the backdrop of time's relentless march, offers a blend of heartfelt moments and poignant reflections, though it occasionally stumbles in its ambition to transcend the conventional romance drama.

Performances: Florence Pugh delivers a tour de force as Almut, the ambitious chef whose life is turned inside out by love and illness. Pugh's portrayal is both fierce and vulnerable, capturing the essence of a woman who battles not just cancer but also the ticking clock of her own life. Andrew Garfield, as Tobias, provides a solid counterbalance, bringing depth to the role of a man who finds love when he least expects it. Their chemistry is palpable, fueling the film's emotional core.

Narrative: The non-linear storytelling, while ambitious, is both a strength and a weakness. Crowley's decision to jump through time offers fresh perspectives on the same emotional beats, illustrating how memories shape our present. However, this structure sometimes disrupts the flow, leaving the audience momentarily adrift in the timeline. The film's attempt at modernity through this narrative technique feels slightly forced, yet it's intriguing enough to keep one invested.

Themes: "We Live in Time" excels in exploring its central themes of mortality, love, and the human experience. The film poignantly questions what it means to live fully, especially when time is not on your side. This exploration is touching, often rendered beautifully through scenes of quiet intimacy or sudden, heart-wrenching clarity. The film's emotional peaks are its strongest suits, offering moments that linger long after the credits roll.

Visuals and Score: Cinematographically, the film is polished, with each frame composed to evoke a sense of timelessness or urgency, fitting the narrative's ebb and flow. The score complements the visuals, enhancing the emotional undertones without overshadowing the dialogue or performances.

Conclusion: "We Live in Time" is a film that aspires to be both a love story and a meditation on life's impermanence. It succeeds more in the former than the latter, crafting a narrative that, while not groundbreaking, is deeply affecting. For those who appreciate a good cry paired with a thoughtful narrative, this film delivers. However, it might leave others wishing for a bit more innovation in its storytelling or deeper dives into its philosophical musings. A commendable effort, but one that leaves the door open for more exploration in the themes it so tenderly touches upon.

I am speechless at how amazing Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh were in this movie. Outstanding performances! Their chemistry and onscreen relationship was perfection! An emotional film obviously because of the subject it was about, but portrayed excellently, with some funny parts also. Both actors deserve an Oscar for this film! These are 2 actors who can play any role flawlessly. Still crying driving home after the movie and a film has never done that! A close to home subject also which probably doesn't help. Well done on this movie that portrays the struggles people are dealing with every single day! 10/10!!

We Live in Time is a romantic drama starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh. It follows their romance, spanning several years. She is a prominent chef who has a health crisis and tries to keep her life and family together through the hardship.

This movie isn't what I thought it was going to be. It shifts back and forth, where they're different ages at different stages of life and it can be cumbersome and hard to keep up with. It hurts the movie more than helps it. The story is jumbled. Once you get a grip on a certain event or get invested in a moment, things go back or ahead. I'm not a fan of that.

The performances carry the movie, especially Garfield's. He's amazing as the caring and loving husband/boyfriend. They have a child, but she doesn't get much screen time. I wish they would have done more with her character. Pugh is great as well, although I've never been a huge fan of hers.

The film still offers substance and emotion and I can't deny that. In the end, I still understood this couples' story and they had decent chemistry on-screen.

Can I just start off by saying the hype over this movie before it came out made me so skeptical. However, it's so eloquently written. Both Florence and Andrew did put on an exceptional performance truly showing the ups and downs of falling in love and the grief that follows loss. Andrew was the perfect cast, his true personality in real life reflected so deeply in his roll as Tobias. Not only do I highly recommend this movie but please do yourself a favor and bring some tissues. I smiled, I laughed, and I snot cried like a child. The best movie i've seen in '24 without a doubt. The cinematography was breathtaking! It felt like I was standing in the same room embodying their journey as if it were my own. As someone who's dealt with loss and love first hand it's so spot on it's not even funny. Florence was exceptionally beautiful and has this metamorphosis as an actress i've yet to see in any one of her previous roles. Truly gut wrenchingly beautiful.

Yet another cancer-mance that misses the mark.

For what is essentially an hour and fifty minute character study of two individuals, Garfield's role is woefully underwritten leaving him little work with other than a permanent day-old stubble look, and the wondrous patience and understanding of a boyfriend who is also (somehow) a divorcee. As a result, his Tobias is merely a two-dimensional foil for Pugh's Almut.

Pugh shines here in a wonderfully understated role that she does much to bring to life. Despite the sometimes sweet, sometimes clunky writing, she's invested in bringing the unlikely named Almut to life -- someone who has made so much of her life, and has so much more to lose.

Unfortunately, the script doesn't have the same level of commitment, and actually forgoes voicing the sentiment that makes up her mind to tackle the cancer treatment once more.

Ultimately, all of this is much better done in a far more entertaining way in 2017's The Big Sick. See it if you're a Pugh fan, but if you give it a pass, you won't be missing much.

I went to see this movie during a free screening. I had high hopes since the two leads are phenomenal actors.

I wanted to love this movie but it felt disjointed. Most movies where there's something mysterious/emotional that happens, there's a build up. You get to know the characters. You feel connected to them. In this case, there wasn't that build up. It was hard to really feel anything for what happens.

I'm also not a fan of movies where they piece together multiple timelines that jumps back and forth. Especially when there's not much that allows you to recognize which timeline you're watching.

This movie was meant for Netflix, not the big screen.