R | 1h 48m | Drama, Melodrama | Oct. 18, 2024
Once, not that long ago, audiences would stand in line to quietly bawl and sniffle together for an ill-fated couple. Today, such films are mostly reserved for streaming. But Florence Pugh, while no longer the flavor of the month “It” girl, still has about five movies’ worth of charisma to pack into one movie. Which is why this ill-fated couple weepie is currently in the movieplexes.
What Goes On
Considering the title, “We Live In Time” has an ironically non-linear narrative. Director John Crowley and writer Nick Payne tell the story very much out of order.In the first scene, Tobias (Andrew Garfield), a mid-level executive at Weetabix, and high-end Michelin-star-chef Almut (Florence Pugh) are living in a bucolic country setting, where she collects freshly-laid eggs and makes him a high-end breakfast. She’s also a former Olympic-level champion figure skater—just your regular gal.
In the second scene, Tobias and Almut are in a doctor’s office, having just gotten the news that Almut’s ovarian cancer has metastasized and requires aggressive treatment. She chooses, however, not to have a full hysterectomy so she can keep open the possibility of having a child.
Then we get ferried back a few years to witness the start of the relationship, wherein Almut, in her car, hits Tobias, after he, in his hotel bathrobe, has run out to buy a ballpoint pen with which to sign his divorce papers.
In another scene, after a fine meal at her newly opened restaurant, they can restrain themselves no longer. There’s quite a fair amount of this, er, lack of restraint, which is why, albeit it’s very lovey-dovey instead of lustful, the film has an R-rating.
The couple’s youthful infatuation segues into commitment, and eventually Tobias and Almut have to confront their young daughter Ella (Grace Delaney) with the life-changing bad news about mommy not feeling well.
All of the above leads us to watching them figure out how to deal with the grave questions that arrive in the second scene. How much time does Almut have left, and what’s the best way for her and her family spend it?
Doesn’t Spend It Like You’d Imagine
Often, “dying girl” romances (as I call them) take place in rather rarefied settings where everyone is good-looking, has a substantial job, along with upscale cars, homes, and swimming pools. These cushy settings make it easier to swallow the bitter pills of the inevitable sad endings. “We Live in Time” is no exception.It’s a bit of a mystery how, at least on paper, these two would be attracted to each other, or rather, how she’d be attracted to him. Almut’s got loads of friends, a large, supportive family, several hobbies, and at least two careers. Tobias would appear to have no interests other than Almut. He also cries a lot. He’s got no friends other than his widowed dad, who also cries a lot, and, in one odd scene, cuts his son’s hair and shaves his neck while Tobias cries in the bathtub.
You’d think Almut would be drawn to a man who wields pickaxes and chainsaws and knows his way around an automobile transmission. But, in spite of all that, the two actors have quite a bit of chemistry and are able to sell this odd couple fairly convincingly.
You Signed up to Do What?
But there are some seriously weird twists. For example, Tobias has planned their dream wedding (long after Ella was born), scouting out an amazing location. But Almut ends up planning another event on that exact date.
Turns out, even though she’s dying of cancer, she’s been secretly training to be part of the UK’s premiere team for the Bocuse D’Or cooking competition. And she neglects to tell this all-important fact to the, well—at this point we have to use the words “supposed” and “alleged”—love of her life. This causes more crying on his part.
Heck, I’d cry too if I discovered my one-and-only chose to celebrate her last months, by, instead of getting married, crafting some sort of mauve-colored gelée out of a boiled octopus. Okay, I will buy that she wants her daughter to witness her doing her best thing before she dies. I'll buy that.
