‘We Live in Time’ LFF 2024 Review: Cancer and Scrambled Eggs
Back in April, the behind-the-scenes pictures leaked onto our social media feeds, and a buzz of autumnal excitement grew among rom-com fans. Were we about to get an About Time starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh? As the release date grew closer and the film began to appear in festivals, the first warning came through, it was a tear-jerker. Toronto International Film Festival even went to the extreme of handing out We Live in Time merch tissues to fans at screenings. Finally, the film premiered in London and we were able to see what all the fuss was about.
Director John Crowley and writer Nick Payne have a clear goal as they introduce us to Chef Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield), to make you feel not think. So they invite us to bask in the autumnal warmth of true love, soulmates, and hot tea. The timeline leaps along the different stages of their relationship, and throughout the film, you feel like you should be watching this at home with a pack of Kleenex and a cuppa. Payne’s script manages to jump through their lives without creating any confusion - though, credit is due to Pugh’s changing hairstyles for acting as a subtle guide through the passage of time.
Putting the pieces in order we accompany a recently divorced Garfield who gets run over by Pugh accidentally, the pair flawlessly fall in love and submerge us into a world of sex on the carpet, scrambled eggs, white London townhouses, cozy blankets, fruit markets - and, inescapably, cancer. The latter is introduced so early on that we almost wonder why we’re still watching, yet the answer has been with us from the beginning. Though we sense the inevitable from scene two, we are captivated, in awe of the unattainable perfection of the couple.
This is not to say that the film would be pointless without its main costars, however, it’s impossible to ignore how heavily reliant it is on their chemistry and screen presence. Throughout the entire two hours we don't encounter a single plot twist or even shift in the narrative, while the leaps work without confusion there are no hidden details that suddenly reveal a newfound meaning for the film. Payne threads metaphors throughout the narrative, so by the end, we’re left sobbing, understanding the importance of something as simple as cracking an egg just right. This is in no way a criticism but rather admiration for a perfectly crafted script, Payne plants subtle seeds that come full circle in an ending full of references to their relationship. Crowley’s direction is perfectly in line with the script, as they both look for and achieve a specific feeling from the audience.
Garfield’s performance is everything anyone would ever want from a rom-com lead; funny, charismatic, unfailingly sweet, understanding, beautiful, and good with babies. He carries the weight of breaking our hearts the most, as no matter how bad it sounds we don’t cry about Pugh’s death but rather about the idea of this lonely, sweet, perfect man taking care of his motherless child. The role falls perfectly among Garfield’s filmography, checking off boxes from superhero to composer, and finally rom-com heartthrob. His performance stands strong and carries the weight of Tobias masterly, and perhaps the only time we see a slight limp is towards the end as he confronts Almut. Nevertheless, it is hard to tell whether it is Garfield or the script that’s to blame for the stumble, as the lack of dimensionality in Tobias as a character makes the only two arguments we witness improbable and performative. Besides this, Garfield’s performance opened the door for a wide range of future films within the genre.
Unfortunately, Pugh’s performance, while up to her usual standard of excellence, feels restrained and ultimately unsatisfying. Where Garfield rises to meet the skill of his costar, Pugh’s acting, disappointingly, remains in her comfort zone. Even though through the film we get glimpses of a more complex Almut - a competitive, sharp-edged, black-eyeliner-wearing bisexual - the character never appears to be entirely developed or exposed to the audience, instead we are left with a vanilla chef mom who makes scrambled eggs. Garfield’s character is sweet and simple but Almut, with her hinted edge, seems to have an untapped edge. While we could blame the script altogether I believe Pugh’s acting settled on a standard of ignoration to the script's effort to add complexity, making that unknown Almut fall back into the simplicity that’s inherent and purposeful in her husband.
Overall, it is undeniable that Crowley and Payne’s goal is met without question, watching this film will make you sob, it is heartbreaking. Nevertheless, throughout its entirety, we’re left with the feeling that this is a story we’ve already heard, and whether intentionally or not, the film fails to introduce any complexity beyond the narrative of these two characters. Crowly called this “a film about mortality and an exploration of how to make use of the little time we have on earth and who we choose to share it with”, and while this is completely accurate to the film, it was difficult not to hope for a touch more nuance, something that embraced the darker sides of the situation, rather than leaving us with unrelenting optimism
We Live in Time will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on the 1st of January 2025.
Edited by Humaira Valera, Co-film & TV editor
