The new film starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh teaches us that life is to be lived, not stunted by death
We Live In Time is a beautiful, heart-warming and reflective account of the struggle against the impermanence of life. It begs the questions: what key ingredient makes a life fulfilled? What pieces of us will we leave behind for those who love us, and how can we enjoy the time we have now? Rather than being the romcom you may be expecting, this film is about life and death, but much more about life than death.
In this heartbreakingly realistic film, Tobias Durand (Andrew Garfield) watches his partner Almut Brühl (Florence Pugh) battle ovarian cancer. The nonlinear narrative structure of the film accurately depicts how the most important moments come back to us when confronted with the death of a loved one. First meetings, first arguments, hard conversations and childbirth, we see it all through Almut and Tobias as their relationship flashes before our eyes. In these glimpses of their life together we see that life is at its richest in the face of death. When her fertility is at risk, Almut realises her desire for children, and when her life is at risk, she takes on one final challenge pushed by the desire to leave a legacy to make their daughter proud.
Almut’s decision to enter a prestigious and intense cooking competition while undergoing chemotherapy highlights the importance of being remembered for something worthwhile. Almut’s actions suggest it may be better to fulfill a short life than focus on its brevity. The film encourages us to face death and simultaneously take what we can from life.
Above all, We Live in Time is unequivocally a good film. Thoughtfully constructed, with emotional depth and layers of symbolism. It finds humour in its dark moments and brings important lessons into light. Garfield and Pugh give brilliant performances. Garfield’s emotional richness is no-doubt fuelled by his own mother’s passing in 2019. His on-screen chemistry with Pugh is undeniable.
The marketing for We Live In Time is sadly what lets it down. Sources across the board have been calling this film a “romcom-drama”. This label is not only inaccurate, but inadvertently harmful. We Live in Time is not a romance simply because it depicts a couple who fall in love. It is a portrayal of the nature of life and death. As someone who lost a parent less than a year ago, this distinction is critical. Luckily, I googled the trigger warnings for the film before watching it. Had I not done this, as many people would not have, and had I expected to watch Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield fall in love and live happily ever after, I would have been not only disappointed, but triggered to relive my own personal grief. So take this as your trigger warning: if you have recently lost someone, especially to terminal illness, this film may be a tough watch.
Most of us go through life supposing ourselves removed from death. The reality of mortality pierces this bubble when we lose someone close to us. If you ever feel like stepping out of the bubble for a couple of hours, We Live in Time is a perfect vehicle for the journey. It is a simple reminder of the value of life in the shadow of death, and that the presence of death does not remove the joy from life.
