I always admire an adult approach to a mature, honest-to-the-bone adult relationship. Nowadays, we do not see enough romantic dramas that offer a realistic account of the trials and tribulations of a relationship matriculating into marriage and dovetailing into life's hardships. Not every romance is idealized, and not every marriage is perfect. Suffice to say that watching director John Crowley's "We Live in Time" is to be reminded of how precious a film like this is. It is not a great film nor will it be a classic (though time will tell) but it has two highly effective, potent, humanistic performances by Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield that should warrant repeat viewings.
I must say that I was initially a little put off at first by the rambling and random non-linear narrative (it can work infrequently, and sometimes it is brilliant as in "Pulp Fiction"). There are flashbacks and flashforwards that can disrupt this developing relationship between the no-nonsense, tough and intelligent Almut (Pugh) and the awkward, loving, somewhat shy Tobias (Garfield). Almut is a talented chef who owns a restaurant. Tobias is a rep for Weetabix cereal (this is set in the U.K) so it would seem that these two are not likely to meet under any circumstances. Sometimes, fate takes a chance and Tobias is accidentally run over by Almut's car. That is their initial meeting but it takes a little while before we get there when we see life unfolding between these lovebirds from their points-of-view. One scene has Tobias getting ready for work and living in a single bedroom - he also has his hair cut by his boisterous father. Another moment has Almut vomiting, though we recognize it could be that she's either pregnant (notice the hair length) or she's fighting stage 3 cancer. They already have their child in the opening scenes of the film, though later the two have a tiff over having a child since Tobias is serious about being married to Almut.
As I said, non-linear narrative can sometimes work on film, and other times it can be cumbersome. The truth is that director John Crowley and screenwriter Nick Payne let this film unfold like a series of footnotes in a decade-long relationship. I don't mind it but some scenes do not flow as smoothly or as evenly in terms of transition as others, if only because this potency doesn't remain fluid. When Almut is diagnosed with cancer and has to undergo chemo, we then see her wanting to get pregnant and failing until she finally gets her wish and Tobias's, who wanted a child even more than she did. I was more invested in her chemo, where she has her hair shaved by her husband while she's also trying out for a cooking competition. The moment she gives birth in a bathroom at a petrol station is quite moving, though I felt it came too late in the film. This is the kind of romantic drama that might have benefitted from more consistency in the depiction of a marriage where not everything is rosy.
Pugh and Garfield, however, play such a sweet couple who take nothing for granted and do their best to keep their marriage secure that you hope everything can work out. You hope Pugh's Almut will beat the cancer and have her tumor shrunk so the doctors can operate. You hope Garfield's Tobias can maintain their family unit no matter what hits them. Sometimes, though, fate plays it hand and challenges of the mental and physical kind can affect a couple's future. That is the strength of "We Live in Time" - it stays firmly rooted in reality.
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