We Live in Time

When Tobias (Andrew Garfield) comes to in a hospital corridor, the first person he sees is Almut (Florence Pugh), the woman who plowed into him as he tried to cross a highway. Oddly thrilled to discover Tobias markets Weetabix, Almut invites him for a meal at her new restaurant where their sparks catch fire. But life isn't simple and the two will find joy in moments big and small before a cancer diagnosis requires momentous decisions in "We Live in Time."
Laura's Review: B+
Director John Crowley's ("Brooklyn") old fashioned weepie is given a modern edge by writer Nick Payne's ("The Sense of an Ending") fragmented timeline approach which, while supplying a few mischievous feints, is surprisingly easy to follow. But the films biggest asset is its stars, Pugh a vibrant life force, Garfield more subdued and in awe of what he's found.
The couple we first meet lives in a picture perfect English country home, Ahmut awakening Tobias by insisting he taste the white froth on the end of her spoon, a new concoction she informs him is Douglas Fir parfait. When editor Justine Wright skips back to their initial meeting, we're given the impression of a relationship ending, a neat trick soon revealed as false perception. Tobias is on a downswing when he meets rising restaurateur Ahmut, whose Anglo Bavarian cuisine has obviously become a hit, given that country home in the earlier scene.
While these two are very different, they share a puckish sense of humor ('Your chocolate orange was pronounced dead at the scene,' Almut solemnly informs Tobias after their accident) and intense physical connection. But Tobias is often kept off kilter by the more adventurous Almut. discovering her former flame was a woman, Skye (Aoife Hinds), when rifling through her photographs after their first evening together. She'll be present when he appears to mend fences after their first big argument, Ahmut taking offense when he asks about wanting children (she doesn't, but demands the right to change her mind).
That decision will end up being life changing when Almut is first diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the doctor informing her that she has two courses of treatment, one which would retain her ability to have children, the safer option a complete hysterectomy. She chooses the former, leading to a montage of pregnancy tests, one finally resulting in joyful celebration. And "We Live in Time" features one of the most distinctive birth scenes in movie history, Almut getting locked in a gas station convenience store bathroom while in labor, then birthing the child on its floor, assisted by Tobias and cashiers Jane (Kerry Godliman) and Sanjaya (Nikhil Parmar). Ella (Grace Delaney) will be adored by both, so much so by her mother that Almut makes a decision in secret that will lead to another conflict with Tobias when her cancer returns.
Pugh, sporting several different looks over the years while Garfield's remain a constant, is absolutely radiant here, creating the type of person others wish to be around. Her Almut is also fiercely competitive, Tobias taken aback at a family gathering to learn she was once an Olympic figure skating competitor (there is video), her intensity in the kitchen the mark of an experienced chef (Pugh trained at a Michelin star restaurant and we'll see her character train for the Bocuse D’or culinary competition in the film). She also committed to having her head shaved when Almut's cancer returns, Garfield accomplishing the deed in front of an admiring Delaney. Garfield's Tobias, jokingly called Weetabix Man by Almut's friends, is more reserved, a sweetly sexy and supportive spouse who registers more pain during the relationship yet clearly cannot quit this dynamic woman. They're a sexy pair and an adorable family, Garfield sharing the last scene with Delaney in one which echoes an earlier one with Pugh. Also notable is Lee Braithwaite as Jade, Almut's insecure, endearingly goofy sous chef who becomes a staunch ally. Her counterpart is Douglas Hodge ("Joker") as Tobias's dad and best friend, a believably close and enviable relationship.
Director of photography Stuart Bentley rightfully keeps Almut and Tobias his focus, his London and countryside locations bright and cheerful, the dimming lighting of his penultimate long shot telling us everything we need to know. Bryce Dessner's ("Two Popes") guitar and flute score is as fresh and modern as the couple it celebrates.
"We Live in Time" is a rarity these days, an adult romance featuring two fully fleshed out characters who bet on quality over quantity from the seemingly insignificant to the earth-shatteringly momentous.
A24 releases "We Live in Time" in select theaters on 10/11/24, nationwide on 10/18/24.