"We live in Time" a masterclass in love, life and being true to oneself

It was no secret that Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield were going to leave us all in awe in this film, but what I wasn’t expecting was the amount of nuance and attention to detail in every shot. I didn’t know John Crowley before, but this movie made me look deeper into his work. And after witnessing his mastership with storytelling, it makes perfect sense that this man is Irish.

The first thing that caught my attention was the film’s slow pace. And don´t get me wrong, I mean slow in the best sense of the word. In recent years, probably due to the influence of social media, I’ve noticed that movies no longer follow the typical structure we were taught in school: "beginning, middle, and end." Within two minutes, we’re already in the middle of the story, surrounded with a thousand different stimulus to keep you engaged and give you no time to think. We Live in Time is a beautiful exception to this rule. The whole movie conveys a sense of calm—from the hardest moments to the happiest ones. As you watch, you can’t help but think, this is just how it is, this is part of life, it’s real, and that’s okay.

Almut, Florence’s character, stole my heart and made me jealous at the same time. She is good, sweet, ambitious, and brave. We see her fire so clearly, and all I could think was how much I wish I could express myself like that. She’s independent, disciplined, unafraid to show anger, and knows what she wants. Her success is evident both professionally—with her business and high-performance sports—and personally. In the dinner scene, she’s surrounded by family; they smile, they love each other, they miss each other.

On the other hand; Tobias, Andrew’s character, feels much smaller. He is her polar opposite: from what little we know about his life, he hasn’t been happy. His social circle is narrow, and despite having a job that we might consider "successful," he clearly didn’t feel fulfilled before meeting Almut. It’s refreshing to see a man on screen who finds his purpose in his family while the woman needs more to feel complete. And Crowley does it so subtly that you don’t even notice—but wow, I definitely needed to see something like this.

Their couple dynamic is beautiful. The way they complement each other without demanding anything, giving each other space to be who they are all while being supportive of their goals... Breathtaking. Without a doubt, these are two hours in the cinema where you’ll witness what I consider love. So many romantic movies are filled with tension, drama and euphoria—but nothing else. In We Live in Time, love transcends the screen. You feel it. It embraces you.

And what an achievement for a film so full of calm and love to also have one of the funniest scenes I’ve seen in a long time. You know, the one at the gas station; because, obviously, right before giving birth, what you really need is five different packs of biscuits. You, me and all of us.

What can I say? You know a movie is good when it makes you laugh, cry, fall in love with its characters, and leave the theater wanting to be a better version of yourself. We Live in Time achieves all that—and then a little more.

Hurry to the cinema or save it for a rainy afternoon when you need an extra touch of love and romance. You won’t be disappointed, I'm sure of it.

Live your life,

Lorena