I’m a big fan of rom-coms when they are done right. Lately, there haven’t been a lot of good rom-coms. We Live In Time is one of the best I’ve seen in recent years. And to throw a monkey wrench into it, it’s an A24 Film, so you know it’s going to have an unusual style or story or something to that extent. They all do. The twist or odd thing about this film is its non-linear storytelling. Despite the genre, it works very well in this style. I think a lot of people are going to go see this movie. Not only for its two stars Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, but for the filmmaking by John Crowley who previously made Brooklyn starring Saoirse Ronan. 

The film features Pugh as Almet, a chef who’s trying to start and eventually does, her own restaurant that features high-end food for people with deep pockets, and Garfield as Tobias, a British cereal spokesperson. While staying at a hotel he can’t find a working pen and so ends up going to the store to get some, when on the way back he gets hit by a car. Ironically enough he ends up meeting the driver in the hospital and it turns out to be Pugh’s character. They hit it off and start dating. The rest as they say is history. Needless to say, this leads to a longstanding relationship between the two love-struck individuals. 

One of the things about romantic comedy films is that more often than not they aren’t that funny. You are the occasional one, but lately, they are few and far between. This one is a few here and there because of the quirky at times relationship between the two leads, but about three-thirds of the way through the movie, there is a hilarious sequence. When audiences see it they will be laughing out loud. It’s one of those things you hear about, but you never thought actually happened. It does in this film and it’s by far the funniest thing in the movie. In a way, it breaks up some tension that has built up to that point in the film.

As far as the romantic side of this movie goes, viewers will get to see a lot of naked Florence Pugh and one scene with Andrew Garfield showing his backside. Pugh has done nudity in Oppenheimer that I can remember so this probably wasn’t that hard for her doing it again. The love-making scenes were fine, nothing to write home about. There were a lot of kissing scenes between big dramatic moments.  As far as the romance goes I’ve seen better, but it was a nice mix between comedic and dramatic moments in the movie.

Florence Pugh has been doing all kinds of roles since her breakout performance in Lady Macbeth in 2016. She’s played a wrestler in Fighting With My Family, She’s played a Russian assassin in Black Widow as Yelena Belova the sister of the Black Widow Natasha Romanoff, and she’s played Princess Irulan in Dune Pt 2. Suffice it to say she’s done it all in her short career thus far. She’s had romantic roles in the past, but this is the most emotional role regarding a real relationship and real-life issues. She juggles a lot in this performance. From the cooking scenes to various hospital visits she runs the gambit of emotions opposite her on-screen lover Garfield. This may be the most nuanced performance of her career.

Andrew Garfield has had a similar journey regarding careers as Pugh. He’s played a superhero, Peter Parker/Spider-Man, in two Amazing Spider-Man films, he’s played real people in Hacksaw Ridge and the Social Network and he’s also played a Jesuit Priest in Martin Scorsese’s Silence. You could say their careers were meant to cross this way. The age difference aside I believed they were a couple and could be in a relationship with each other. The care and love they showed each other came across very well on screen. One particular scene where he was crying had me. I was genuinely hooked on this film. The performances of Pugh and Garfield were the main reason why.

John Crowley based on a script by Nick Paune made a very grounded film. It was so real and raw at times while also being funny and poignant.  The things this couple goes through are what any couple could go through. The ups and downs in the relationship seemed very genuine. The arguments or even love-making scenes looked like they could happen in any household in America or the world for that matter. This is a uniquely British film, but that didn’t change how relatable it is. I’m sure anybody who watches it will see that right away. Crowley has a way of doing that. He did the same in Brooklyn starring Saoirse Ronan. 

I’m not the biggest fan of rom-coms. They just don’t usually have what I’m looking for in my movies. Occasionally they do, but mostly don’t.  On the inside, I’m a big softy though. I’m a sucker for a good romantic comedy that will make me cry and laugh for that matter. We Live In Time, does that. Despite its non-linear storytelling, I was glued to every scene and I was emotionally tied to the relationship and story. There was a nice mix of drama and comedy to go around. The realistic nature of the story got me. I felt like this could be any couple around the world. They seemed so grounded in reality.  The performances by Pugh and Garfield were excellent.  Crowley has done it again. He’s made a film audience should gravitate toward. Let’s see if they do. I loved every minute of what I was watching.

4 ½ stars

Dan Skip Allen