Director: John Crowley
Starring: Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh
‘A Captivating Romantic Classic’
Few actresses in Hollywood are as beloved as Florence Pugh. Ever since her rise to stardom in the 1990’s, Pugh has become a legendary feminist icon. Whether it’s legendary feminist figures, little women or star-crossed lovers, Pugh has portrayed many strong characters. Arguably, Pugh’s strength as actress is her courage. She has always been one of those rare actresses with a strong commitment to playing every character. Through her abilities to portray characters that audiences treasure, Pugh has become a legendary actress which audiences value. Pugh’s strong commitment to playing every single character has made her a beloved icon in entertainment. Shining a bright light in darkness, Pugh has become an icon in the entertainment business. An actress that has always thrived at playing strong characters with feminism, Pugh had achieved immense stardom. Throughout her illustrious career, Pugh has created countless unforgettable movies that are definitely worth watching.
I’m a huge fan of Pugh and adore all the films she has made in her career. However, “We Live in Time” is my favourite. Pugh’s most recent film captures a terminally ill woman engaging in a doomed romantic relationship destined to face despair. Packed with strong production, engaging storytelling and phenomenal acting, it’s one of the best movies of the year. At the centre of it all is an extraordinary performance by Florence Pugh, who embodies a terminally ill woman embarking on a journey to discover her identity. Ultimately, what makes “We Live in Time” a masterpiece is its message. The film delivers a meaningful message about time that would resonate with everyone. A mesmerizing romance masterpiece, there are several strong reasons why “We Live in Time” is a movie that is worth seeing.
Set over the course of several years, “We Live in Time” chronicles romance of a couple that’s afflicted with terminal illness. Florence Pugh embodies Almut, a young woman with huge dreams of becoming a professional chef. Pugh has always sought to achieve success in the culinary industry. Pugh shares a strong bond with her husband Tobias (Andrew Garfield), whom she loves dearly. However, Almut’s life changes drastically when she’s diagnosed with Cancer. Facing a dilemma, Almut is forced to face the fact that she doesn’t have much long to live experiencing trauma. Stuck in a painful situation, Almut starts to question whether she has any chances of achieving success in her profession. Choosing to make the most of her time, Almut embarks on a journey to discover her identity. Facing the harsh reality of Cancer, Almut begins to question whether she will ever be able to achieve her dreams of becoming a chef with a bright future.
John Crowley is fascinated with the stories of romantic relationships which occur over time. Before he directed “We Live in Time”, Crowley was known for his romantic movies. Crowley’s previous movie “Brooklyn” captures an Irish woman embarking on a journey of immigration causing romantic relationships to face tragedy. With “We Live in Time”, however, he made his first terminal illness movie. It was the director’s first attempt to capture the barriers endured by lovers torn apart with barriers of terminal illness but he succeeded immensely. Through spellbinding cinematography, Crowley conveys a couple embarking upon a journey to discover identity. Crowley effectively uses montages to capture a couple embarking upon a journey to find their identities. For instance, the montages elevate the pregnancy scene. During this tense scene, Tobias and Almut embark on a car ride to deal with her pregnancy. One acknowledges montages capturing the romantic relationships between couples bonding. Montages are tricky techniques to use in movies. As Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” suggested, montages enhance literary adaptations about strong women. That being said, it works tremendously in this movie. Through breathtaking visuals, Crowley creates commemorated romantic relationships between couples which are engaging.
Another admirable aspect of “We Live in Time” is production. From a technical point of view, the film is extremely well made. Crowley has always had an aptitude for capturing romance in movies, and “We Live in Time” showcased his strengths as a filmmaker. Crowley expertly uses production to showcase contrasts among time periods in a couple’s life. Crowley expertly uses colours to draw stark contrasts between stages in a couple’s life. Bright colours elevate the early scenes where Tobias and Almut bond together. In contrast, darker hues enhance the argument scenes. For instance, colours in set design elevate the proposal scene. During this unforgettable scene, Tobias faces joy when he proposes to Almut in a celebratory occasion. Furthermore, the musical score is magnificent. Bryce Dessner’s music is integral towards the success of the movie. It gives the film a tense atmosphere capturing the heavy burden that couples bear. Through powerful production, Crowley demonstrates commemorated couples which endure destruction.
Storytelling is one of the key reasons why “We Live in Time” is a romantic classic that’s truly compelling. The film is beautifully written, and expertly uses non-linear storytelling to capture hardships couples with terminal illnesses often are facing. Crowley’s screenwriting strength is capturing the tensions faced by couples that are impacted by terminal illness. Throughout the movie, Crowley deftly switched back and forth among past flashbacks of Almut’s joyful romantic relationship and present-day scenes of her miserable life with Cancer. Through this unique non-linear structure, Crowley captures the painful hardships that Cancer patients go through. For instance, non-linear storytelling elevates the terminal illness scene. During this heartbreaking scene, Almut has an emotional breakdown at work yearning for her past when she had a life which was fulfilling. Through the non-linear storytelling, Crowley crafts a strong romantic relationship which is compelling. Non linear storytelling is a tricky technique to use in films. As Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” suggested, non-linear storytelling enhances biopics about iconic inventors. Nevertheless, it works immensely in this movie. The non-linear storytelling lends a strong sense of realism to the movie which is absent from most romantic comedies. Using a sharp screenplay, Crowley conveys relationships that face a price to pay.
One appreciates amazing performances.
Florence Pugh delivers one of her best career performances as Almut. Pugh achieved praise portraying powerful women in period pieces. With “We Live in Time”, however, she took on her most emotional role. It isn’t easy to play a woman affected by terminal illness causing a tragedy, but she succeeded immensely. This is the actress unlike you’ve ever seen her in the past before: intense, charismatic and utterly emotional in her most memorable role. It’s a role that gave the actress a chance to showcase emotional vulnerability she hadn’t shown in her career before. With riveting expressions, she captures the angst, depression and resentments of a woman that faces terminal illness causing romantic relationships to face tensions. It’s a phenomenal performance by one of the most talented actresses working in the film industry today.
Andrew Garfield is amazing as a man unable to come to terms with his wife’s terminal illness preventing his dreams from coming true. While Pugh gets the shower role, Garfield is superb and also worthy of recognition. Garfield is one of those actors that has always thrived playing characters through strong monologues, and “We Live in Time” showcased his strengths as a performer. Whether he’s joyously proposing to Almut or mourning her terminal illness that causes tragedy, Garfield successfully employs monologues to capture tensions that a man in a doomed affair is facing. It’s a phenomenal performance from one of the best actors in the film industry today.
Finally, “We Live in Time” will earn the praise of everyone for capturing tensions experienced by couples over time. Unlike most romantic movies, it tackles universal themes everyone would relate to. The film tackles bold themes including identity, marriage and terminal illness which would resonate with everyone. It delivers a powerful message about the importance of finding identity which would resonate among everyone. Therefore, “We Live in Time” is one of those rare romantic dramas that everyone would adore.
Fans of Florence Pugh would definitely enjoy “We Live in Time” and so would movie-goers that seek heartwarming entertainment. An awe-inspiring romantic classic, it celebrates an actress that has built a legacy which has proven to be iconic.
A heartwarming portrait of terrifying terminal illnesses causing romantic relationships between couples facing challenges to begin declining, it’s a riveting reminder of an actress that has gained a huge fan following earning worldwide appreciation for her abilities to portray characters which are compelling whose engaging movies tackling universal themes everyone can relate to are definitely without a doubt worth celebrating.
5/5 stars
The Film Buff 