We tend to view life as a single stream of events, occurring in linear time and aiming to reach a particular destination – and the fact that we are obsessed with chronology to the point where we tend to focus on every unit of time. The great irony of this universal tendency is that in choosing to focus on life as some homogenous entity, we miss out on some of the most important moments, which are usually those that are most unexpected. John Crowley, who has made something of a career for himself through telling stories about characters realizing the importance of cherishing every moment and not wasting time in pursuing their heart’s desires, focuses on this phenomenon once again, which he delivers in We Live in Time, an achingly beautiful and deeply heartwrenching story of Tobias and Almut, two individuals in contemporary London that meet each other under unexpected circumstances, and eventually find themselves falling in love as a result of their serendipitous encounter – however, their relationship is not without its challenges, and they soon realize that they have to find ways to work around the obstacles to continue making the most of every moment, something that becomes increasingly more urgent and even more difficult when a surprise diagnosis means that there is a possibility their idyllic life together may be cut short at some point. A fascinating character study about the importance of taking advantage of the time we have with those we love since we don’t know how much longer it may last, crafted in a way that focuses less on the linear nature of time and instead on the individual moments that make up our lives, We Live in Time is a stunning film, one driven by a sense of genuine simplicity more than anything else and crafted with incredible attention to detail and an abundance of nuanced humour that makes it quite a remarkable piece of filmmaking, carefully put together by a director who has always made the human condition a priority when developing his films, as he sees it in a profoundly different light than many of his contemporaries.

At a cursory glance, We Live in Time seems like a relatively conventional romantic drama – it follows the relationship between the two protagonists over a few years, providing insights into everything from their initial meeting to what seems to be the tragic end to what was a very loving connection. There isn’t anything particularly unique about the narrative itself, which is by all accounts a traditional story of the ebb and flow of a contemporary relationship. Instead, the original aspects of this film emerge in its execution, with the film consisting of several brief fragments that give insights into the characters’ lives, presented out of order and leaping between different periods in their relationship. It isn’t the first instance of a film dancing around time, but it is one of the more effective, primarily because there is a lot of thought that goes into how the film is structured. Rather than being crafted as a series of flashbacks, the film finds creative ways to explore the central companionship, with the order of the scenes initially seeming quite arbitrary, but eventually starting to take shape. We’re privy to certain moments quite early on, while some of the more important information is reserved for the final segments, but we are nonetheless never at a loss in terms of understanding the narrative, which only benefits from the refusal to overcomplicate the story or make it out to be more complex than it was. There is certainly a lot of creativity that drives this film, and Crowley constructs it as a vibrant mosaic of a relationship that sees many triumphs and tragedies, following the two main characters as they embrace the unknown and decide to brave the future as a pair, knowing that their time is bound to be finite, but still ensuring that they make the most out of every moment. Had the film been presented in order, it would have still been very strong, but the playfulness that comes with cobbling it together from different fragments not only makes it a more actively engaging experience, but it carries an abundance of significance in terms of how he chooses to unfurl this story, with certain revelations being made much earlier than others, and therefore shaping our overall experience with this story.

Watching the growth of Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh over the past decade has been fascinating – they’re both extraordinarily gifted actors, which has only been proven by the fact that they haven’t quite been shoehorned into a particular style of acting, resisting typecasting and instead being supported by their versatility and incredibly complex style of acting. This film pairs them together for the first time, and while they may seem like a slightly odd match considering there is over a decade that separates them in age, there is never a moment where it feels inauthentic or forced – Garfield can play slightly younger, and Pugh slightly older, and it comes across as entirely convincing, which is a merit of both the director for harnessing these terrific performances and the actors work putting in a significant amount of effort when developing the parts. The roles are seemingly tailored to the leads’ respective strengths – Pugh is as feisty and steadfast as ever, whereas Garfield captures the essence of this gentle, earnest young man who is consistently searching for meaning within himself. The film plays to their talents, and therefore puts them to the test by asking both to look deep within themselves to develop the meaning behind these characters, shading in their characteristics through quiet, nuanced work. Neither one of them is delivering a performance that is defined by its extravagance or bigger moments, but there’s very little doubt that this will be seen as some of their very best work, particularly since it relies on nothing but their honest, clear interpretations of these characters as they navigate life. The supporting cast (which includes wonderful work from actors like Douglas Hodge, Lee Braithwaite and Adam James) are wonderful additions, but this remains wholeheartedly a story about two individuals falling in love and deciding that they have enough commitment to one another to weather the storms of the future, which prove to be daunting but made somewhat easier through their efforts to remain loyal and loving to one another to the very end.

Even from simply reading the synopsis, it’s obvious that We Live in Time is a film fueled by strong emotions more than anything else, a quality that we find plays quite a significant role in how eventual understanding of its themes and how they are explored. Crowley is not strange to devastating audiences with deeply emotional stories, and this film not only continues this trend but actively pursues it throughout. In the hands of many other filmmakers, this premise would lend itself to blatant over-sentimentality, but with Crowley at the helm, it flourishes into something much more tender and meaningful. Without any doubt, the film is extraordinarily sad, and there is always going to be some degree of melancholy that drives it forward. While some have made an active effort to present more objective, frank depictions of everyday life, there is arguably still value in a film that can be very sentimental without becoming needlessly overwrought, even at its most shattering. There is a degree of respectability in being able to overwhelm the audience with emotions while still maintaining a level of sophistication and decorum, which is easily achieved by this film, solely because both screenwriters Nick Payne and Crowley were intently in command of the film’s underlying emotions. Part of this comes in their refusal to make it an entirely dour affair – those venturing into this film are bound to be surprised when we realize it is as much a comedy as it is a drama, which is unexpected considering it is marketed as a more sentimental affair. It isn’t overly funny, but the small touches of humour scattered throughout are certainly welcome, and not only soften the emotional blows dealt throughout but convey the clear intention to show that the lives of these characters, while guided by a sense of lingering sadness, are not exclusively defined by the more downbeat period and that even in the most harrowing of moments, there is the potential to find joy, many of them coming when we least expect it. A film like We Live in Time can easily handle the more distressing emotions since it has enough merit to the story to support the more shattering moments, which are pieced together with a creative flair that allows them to be far more engaging than we may have anticipated.

If nothing else, We Live in Time is a film that serves as a reminder of the virtue of simplicity – there are very few moments in which this film seems to be showing its ingenuity or trying to be viewed as anything more complex than it needs to be. Simple human emotions are more than sufficient to tell such a story, granted they’re accompanied by strong performances and a good directorial approach that highlights the underlying ideas straightforwardly and honestly, both of which are certainly present in every frame of this film. It can be quite shattering at some points, and Crowley does not shy away from the more haunting views of what a relationship has to endure, especially when it comes to those factors that are out of either party’s control – but despite how it seems on the surface, this is not a testimony to the melancholic circumstances of terminal illness or domestic strife, but instead a genuinely uplifting, life-affirming testament to the power of love, and how it can help people overcome the most difficult of circumstances, even those that run the risk of ending a loving relationship. Life is unpredictable and sometimes quite daunting at the best of times, and We Live in Time demonstrates this in vivid detail – but even as its most downbeat, there is an abundance of joy and heart that persists throughout, allowing the film to be a beautiful celebration of life, much more than it is a harsh depiction of the challenges this couple faces. The simple direction, heartfelt performances and genuine soulfulness that are present in every frame are all that was needed to make this a touching, complex ode to the human condition and the importance of cherishing absolutely every moment.