-Written by Kyle Bain.
We Live in Time is a slice of life film that follows Tobias (Andrew Garfield) and Almut (Florence Pugh) as they journey through their life together. After meeting through unusual circumstances, the two must face hardships, life changes, and all the love they can handle. In one of the best films of the year, We Live in Time explores life in the best way possible.
As I left the theater I was sort of at a loss for words, struggling to accurately express the way in which We Live in Time made me feel. We Live in Time is an emotionally driven story that uses a series of emotions at any given moment to express its purpose and drive its plot. Not a moment passes in which there is only one emotion being expressed. I can remember feeling sadness and depression coupled with optimism and hope, things that shouldn’t exist alongside one another, shouldn’t be able to work with one another, but they do. Furthermore, there were times where I felt I couldn’t decide between tears or laughter, and as the two ideas battled it out in my head I fell victim to the siege of feelings that seemed to ambush me at every turn. I both love and hate the way that We Live in Time made me feel, and I left the film emotionally drained, again, struggling to put into words how powerful this film is.
Similar to how a slew of emotions are sort of thrown at viewers all at once (repeatedly), the narrative is thrown at viewers in a very unique fashion. We are shown vignettes of the past, the present, and the future, not shown in any particular order that I can figure out, and with that, we are constantly pulled in a series of directions. We Live in Time is told in such a way that forces viewers to remain focused, because we never know what (or when) is coming next. With the narrative constantly jumping from place to place in Almut and Tobias’ story, the film becomes a game of anticipation, trying to understand what will come next and how it will ultimately affect the greater story.
There are many aspects of We Live in Time that are, in fact, perfect–and the acting is one of those things. Pugh, in particular, is impeccable in this film. Her performance is a tour de force, one worthy of Oscar buzz when the time comes. I expect to see her name on the ballot come the end of January, and I anticipate that there will be buzz surrounding her name as a legitimate contender to win. Garfield, too, is spectacular–holding his own against the force that is Pugh and adding another level of gravitas to We Live in Time.
We Live in Time is a damn-near perfect film, one that transcends time and emotions, making it relevant for everyone, everywhere. I anticipated powerhouse performances by both Pugh and Garfield, but I’m not sure that I expected something quite like this, something so emotionally riveting and relevant. The onslaught of emotion from start to finish is something that I’ve never experienced before in a film, something that left me speechless as I walked out of the theater, something that had a profound effect on me. We Live in Time is one of the best films of the year and potentially the best film that A24 has ever produced.
Directed by John Crowley.
Written by Nick Payne.
Starring Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh, Grace Delaney, Lee Braithwaite, Aoife Hinds, Adam James, Douglas Hodge, etc.
9.5/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW
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