We Live in Time

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.

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.

We Live In Time delivers a compelling and emotionally charged story that explores love, loss, and the passage of time. The film boasts strong performances, particularly from its leads, whose chemistry draws the audience into their journey. Its poignant themes and richly drawn characters make for a narrative that has the potential to resonate deeply.

However, the film's non-linear editing detracts significantly from its impact. While the fragmented structure may aim to create intrigue or mimic the unpredictability of memory, it instead muddles the storytelling. Key emotional beats lose their potency as the timeline jumps abruptly, leaving viewers disoriented rather than engaged. The disjointed sequencing diminishes the weight of the story's climax, which should have been its most powerful moment.

Ultimately, We Live In Time is a film of great promise undermined by its structural choices, leaving audiences longing for a more coherent narrative flow.

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.

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.