We Live In Time Review: A Proper British Weepy With Heart [TIFF 2024]

If there's one genre that you can reliably trust to find an audience, it's weepy romantic dramas. That's what "We Live in Time" has on offer, a Richard Curtis-esque romance that follows one couple as they cope with everything life throws at them, both good and bad. The hook is that it's all told in a nonlinear fashion, creating little vignettes that hop back and forth to capture crucial moments in their shared history. Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield are both preternaturally likable, and it's their performances and chemistry together that helps "We Live in Time" stand out from the crowd. Even so, the film's gimmick and its two glittering stars aren't quite enough to elevate this into must-watch territory.

Almut (Pugh) and Tobias (Garfield) meet the old-fashioned way, when Almut hits Tobias with her car. Sparks fly almost immediately between them (or at least they do once Tobias regains consciousness in the hospital). Almut is an exacting, workaholic professional chef, while Tobias is a mild-mannered Weetabix employee who is much more interested in cultivating a domestic life. As their relationship develops, they are forced to confront several potential stumbling blocks, including the all-important conversation about whether or not they're interested in having children one day, and how that decision is complicated by Almut's cancer diagnosis.

What you need in this type of story above all else is a pair of stars that audiences can fall in love with, and "We Live in Time" has that in spades with Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield. Not only are they individually appealing, but they have a wonderful connection to one another that is born out of natural chemistry and an acting approach in which both actors are present and engaged in the moment. Despite all of their little bumps and quirks, they have an incredibly aspirational relationship. Tobias' communication skills are unparalleled, and the way that they tackle so many of life's challenges as a team is undeniably inspiring. Even in the moments when they've let each other down, you can feel the love they have for one another — no one does wounded like Garfield or desperately-trying-not-to-be-vulnerable like Pugh.

The fact that we immediately buy into their relationship is no small feat, considering the fact that it's told completely out of order in a nonlinear narrative. At first, audiences might get caught up in trying to constantly keep a timeline straight in their heads. But the story is much more effective if you're willing to let go of that and just embrace the vignette-like stylistic approach. These are mere moments that make up their life together, after all, and they don't need to be told in chronological order to be important. This also connects to the overarching theme brought into the film by the cancer narrative: What kind of life do you want to live, and what kind of memories do you want to leave behind for your loved ones when you're gone? Almut is frequently forced to grapple with the question of whether or not it's worth it to fight for a few extra months with her husband and daughter that are filled with pain and fatigue. Her choices as she confronts her own legacy can be maddening, but they also feel authentic for the character.

While the out-of-order narrative tells us everything we need to know about their relationship together, it might mute the emotional reaction for viewers expecting to come into theaters with a box of tissues and cry their eyes out. Rather than reaching a roaring emotional climax, "We Live in Time" metes out smaller moments that are more bittersweet than heartbreaking. Nevertheless, viewers looking for an emotional rollercoaster will likely find their needs met, as Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh both commit to the more tragic elements of the story. 

Is this destined to become one of the great British weepies of the decade? Well, probably not. But Garfield and Pugh together are an unbeatable duo, and their skills combine to elevate "We Live in Time" well above a generic romantic drama. A lot of films with this type of storyline that get greenlit often feel like they're a mere step above what we might find on the Hallmark Channel — not so with "We Live in Time," which punches at an appropriate cinematic weight for its subject matter.

"We Live in Time" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and is slated for a limited theatrical release in the United States on October 11.