Sparks of life collide in “We Live in Time”, a 2024 romantic drama directed by John Crowley. The film aims to gently examine the ephemeral and delicate aspects of human life through the story of two individuals whose chance encounter intertwines their existences. The film explores themes of love, illness, ambition, and time itself while featuring “Brooklyn” as Crowley’s most notable work.
Fleshed out by Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, the film is even further propelled by Garfield and Pugh’s emotionally nuanced performances. The film does not wrap itself in the confines of a romance picture; instead it captures life’s defining moments while telling them out of order. By reflecting life’s unpredictability, the film captures the essence of memory and fate.
Synopsis
The film showcases the emotional journey of charismatic and skilled Bavarian-fusion chef Almut Brühl, alongside mild-mannered cereal marketer Tobias Durand, a recently divorced man. Their first meeting is anything but conventional; Almut strikingly runs into Tobias with her car. The two share the same mundane incident, yet what begins as fleeting and embarrassing transforms into enduring relationship spanning over decades.
As the narrative hops to various stages of their lives, we see them fall in love, start a family, and struggle with the relentless difficulties of adult life. Ella, their daughter, becomes a beacon of hope, joy, and purpose. But the family’s happiness is put at risk by Almut’s diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
Through the multifaceted depiction of the film, we understand the entire burden of Almut and Tobias’s journey: the tender moments, the self-driven aspirations, and the grief that changes the life they know. Even as her illness worsens, Almut’s determination to participate in the world-renowned culinary competition, Bocuse d’Or, is a defining part of her life.
Rather than a step-by-step progression of events, We Live in Time features the emotional peaks and devastating valleys of their lives through fragmented scenes, as if memories resurfacing long after the fact. This invites the audience to feel the emotional weight behind each event while attempting to assemble the larger picture of their relationship.
Actors and Their Roles
Florence Pugh as Almut Brühl: Almut is a talented chef, and her indomitable spirit is the crux of the film. Her love for food, an unyielding will tempered by her terminal illness, and family keeps everything harmonious in the film.
Andrew Garfield as Tobias Durand: Tobias is a gentle, man, and quiet by nature. His relations with Almut change it for the better. The change from being a passive spectator of his life to an engaged husband and father drives the narrative.
Grace Delaney as Ella: Almut and Tobias’s daughter. Captured as young, Ella represents the hope that her parents’ love will last a lifetime.
Lee Braithwaite as Jade: Almut’s sous chef and companion in the kitchen, assisting her in the preparations for the Bocuse d’Or competition.
Aoife Hinds as Skye: Known to Almut and Tobias as a work colleague and friend, Skye provides broader context of their social world.
Adam James as Simon Maxson, Amy Morgan as Leah: Participants of Almut’s anthroposophical social circle who outline the harsh world of the competitive culinary profession.
Douglas Hodge as Reginald: A peripheral character, yet one whose impact is felt on the most intimate layers of the couple’s decisions and their ideas.
Directing, Writing, and Cinematic Style
With We Live In Time, Director John Crowley brings his peculiar sensitivity and quiet grace. He is known for character-driven stories with soft-touch and rather than melodrama pours heart on the subtle shifts of emotion.
Nick Payne’s screenplay was of a The We Live In Time, where poetic written didactic. He produces truthful intimate conversations reflecting how people speak during emotional vulnerability and heartfelt revelation. Spending time within the theater world paid off to him on dialogue and balance provided on touchy matters and refreshing relief.
Stuart Bentley’s warm earthy visuals along with soft lighting which depend on each chapters mood compliments the stories tone while interiors remain during emotionally stuffed closeness.
The film owes its success to Justine Wright’s editing. Untangling the disorientation filled narrative showcases through rough seamless boundaries that enable smooth flow, further inviting the viewers to dive in the experience rather than merely witness it.
The emotional undertones of the film are heightened by the score of Bryce Dessner which is both rich and haunting simultaneously through strings and piano.
We Live in Time is a profound film about time as it unravels the movement of time chronologically, through memories, the mortality of a person and how life has meaning. It examines self-identity in relation to the ‘other,’ the endurance of hope against overwhelming odds, and the redemptive, but often soul-crushing, power of love.
Her diagnosis with ovarian cancer is treated as life’s misfortune that influences the character, not as a tragic plot device. Almut’s drive to fulfill her legacy as a chef and a mother motivates the film, rendering it almost purposeful. Her participation in the Bocuse d’Or is not an act of seeking fame, but defiance against the shackles imposed upon her.
Tobias’s role is more internal. His emotional journey, or at least what can be captured in an emotional terms, is a development from passive contentment to active devotion, reflecting many transformations people experience as they mature into adulthood. The relationship with Almut compels him to grapple with the unpredictability of life as well as the extent to which he is able to feel love, grief, and endurance.
The film also addresses the notion of remembering and holding onto those who have passed. The film illustrates grief by presenting scenes out of order; grief is often non-linear, plagued by memories that arise at random moments, influenced by emotion rather than reason.
Reception
So far, most people who have viewed We Live in Time have had positive feedback, especially when it comes to Pugh and Garfield’s performance in the film. Many critics have complimented the pair’s chemistry and sincere performance. While some reviewers have identified the film’s format as telling the story in a way that would be hard to follow for the average viewer, most hold the belief that it enhances the emotional experience and impact of the film.
The film has been characterized as emotionally quotable and authentic — a tale that does not force tears out of its viewers but instead evokes them through honest storytelling. The film does not manipulate or force its viewers to cry, and praise serves as the foundation on which the film stands.
Conclusion
We Live in Time is not a sweeping romance. Rather, it is a quiet, yet deep meditation on how people seek meaning in love, family, and ambition. This film captures the beauty found in ordinary life while also facing the embrace of loss with grace and tenderness.
Portraying two flawed individuals in an imperfect world, Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield’s performances as a husband and wife pair showcase deeply relatable vulnerability and abundant strength. Their performances linger long after the credits roll. We have John Crowley, Nick Payne, and the other creatives behind the film to thank for such a poignant narrative that will resonate with anyone who has loved deeply, lost profoundly, or even pondered how best to utilize their time on this earth.
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