Behind: We Live In Time (2024)
Written by Alannah Cannon
‘We Live in Time’ is a heartbreaking romantic drama starring Florence Pugh as Almut and Andrew Garfield as Tobias who have a beautiful, but also rocky at times relationship. Written by Nick Payne and directed by John Crowley, this unchronological film explores the beginnings, the hardships, and the ultimate tragic end of their relationship.
The events in this movie are not linear, leaving us as the audience to piece together the film as it goes on. I think it was really well done and the little bit of mystery is incredibly engaging. It is not a movie that you would turn off half way through because you can guess the ending, because you don’t even know the beginning.
The movie begins with the cancer diagnosis of Almut, who has already had cancer once before. She was given the option of six to eight good months to live, or begin treatment in hopes to prolong her life. This isn’t an easy decision for her because she prefers quality time over quantity and has already been through the pain of chemotherapy before. Ultimately, she decides to pursue treatment, thinking of her loving husband and daughter.
We later learn how the couple run into each other, or should I say, how Almut runs over Tobias. She hits him with her car and then accompanies him to the hospital where they have their first conversation. It is not your typical ‘meet-cute’ which I think makes it all the more special. This film highlights real life and real life decisions and real life arguments and overcoming these hardships.
The movie begins with the cancer diagnosis of Almut, who has already had cancer once before. She was given the option of six to eight good months to live, or begin treatment in hopes to prolong her life. This isn’t an easy decision for her because she prefers quality time over quantity and has already been through the pain of chemotherapy before. Ultimately, she decides to pursue treatment, thinking of her loving husband and daughter.
We later learn how the couple run into each other, or should I say, how Almut runs over Tobias. She hits him with her car and then accompanies him to the hospital where they have their first conversation. It is not your typical ‘meet-cute’ which I think makes it all the more special. This film highlights real life and real life decisions and real life arguments and overcoming these hardships.
There are no better actors to portray these characters and this story other than Andrew Garfiled and Florence Pugh. Their chemistry oozes out of the screen and into our hearts. Garfield is especially fantastic with his facial expressions, conveying every single emotion just right to really pull at our heart strings, or maybe in some cases to make us a little bit angry at his character. Pugh is amazing with her line delivery, carrying so much of the emotional weight of the script. We can hear every emotion in her voice, the sadness, the anger, the happiness. Together, they bring these characters to life and deliver performances that certainly will not be forgotten any time soon.
Almut is a professional chef, having newly opened a restaurant when she first met Tobias. Almut’s career is very important to her, and is a leading factor for the plot. She is an amazing representation of a career-driven woman in film, which often is not seen. Her passion for her career results in the main conflict of the movie.
Despite receiving cancer treatment, planning a wedding and raising her daughter with Tobias, Almut accepts the offer to compete in a prestigious cooking competition, ‘The Bocuse d'Or’. She hides this from her fiancée and trains in secret. After she eventually reveals to Tobias what she is doing, they have an argument where she delivers an incredibly powerful line “did it ever occur to you that I don’t want to just be someones dead fucking mum?” In my opinion it is the most memorable quote from this movie and really says a lot about the character of Almut. Her monologue in this scene is incredibly emotional, an amazing performance from Pugh and also from Garfield whose face expresses more than words could in the moment. Almut reveals that she wants her daughter, Ella, to remember her as someone who is strong and didn’t give up. She wants Ella to look back on her mothers life and be proud. Almut also confesses that maybe she also doesn’t want to be forgotten, which if she won the competition she would have her legacy secured.
This scene epitomises the main message of the film. Life is short. The name of the movie, ‘We Live in Time’ is the perfect title. A reminder to hold on to the present and live your life to the fullest. Anything could happen. Almut didn’t intend to pass away so young, leaving her family behind, but she made sure her final experiences were meaningful.
My favourite full circle moment from the film is when Almut teaches Tobias ‘the best way to crack an egg’ early on in their relationship. Then the movie ends with a bitter sweet scene of Tobias teaching their daughter how to crack an egg, just like Almut taught him. Bitter because Almut wasn’t there to show her daughter how, but sweet because Tobias will not let Ella forget her mother and he will make sure her legacy lives on in their daughter.
I rated this film five stars because it is a beautiful piece of art that is almost like a life lesson. It is unique and emotional. Its non-linear format translates to messy, just like life. Small things mightn’t mean much at the time, but could turn into something unforgettable, like the best way to crack an egg. This movie is perfect, from the performances, to the writing, to the cinematography, to the soundtrack. It is very deserving of five stars and I believe it is film everybody should watch at least once in their life.