We Live in Time

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.

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.

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.

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.

Andrew Garfield is Tobias, he comes across as a mostly passive person, sometimes has a hard time just expressing himself. As the writer says he is the type of person who 'colors inside the lines.' Early in the story he has to sign some important papers, he goes out at night and gets some ink pens, is clumsy and drops them on the roadway, when picking them up gets hit by a car, full on.

The driver of that car is Florence Pugh as Almut. (Is that a common name in the UK?) She is quite opposite of Tobias in most ways. She is a decorated chef, is working on the opening of her own restaurant and is more willing to take risks as she goes through life.

They meet in the hospital after the accident, they are definitely attracted to each other, and the rest of the story is their fits and starts at building a life together.

The story is not presented in a linear manner, the director explains why in the Blu Ray extras and it makes sense.

Both actors are very good and I especially am a fan of Pugh, I believe I have seen her in 8 movies now and she always creates an interesting and authentic role, as she does here.

My wife and watched it at home, on Blu Ray from out public library. We enjoyed it, both as often funny entertainment and for the deep points about life it touches on.