November 6, 2024
Tobias Durand (Andrew Garfield) went to the store to buy a pen to sign divorce papers, but was struck by a car on his way back. The driver of the car was Almut Brühl (Florence Pugh), an acclaimed Michelin-rated chef. The two of them hit it off right away and they soon lived with each other. They had to contend a difficult problem before they had their daughter Ella (Grace Delaney), but this was going to haunt them back again later.
Over the years, there had been plenty of films that tackled a romantic relationship which was affected by a difficult and terminal disease. One of the most popular movies in the 1970s was "Love Story," also one of the highest-grossing films of all time adjusted for inflation. Despite its lead stars, this new one, directed by John Crowley, director of Oscar Best Picture nominee "Brooklyn" (2015), may likely not reach pop culture icon status like the former.
"We Live in Time" is different because it told its love story in a non-linear manner. It shows episodic highlights of their relationship in a seemingly random order. While this may be an interesting concept on paper, the build-up of the story to its inevitable conclusion felt diminished. The pace is slow, with only one scene with heightened emotion. If not for the talent and charisma of its lead stars, Crowley risked losing some of his viewers midway.
Andrew Garfield played the goofy salesman Tobias, who had a generally positive outlook in life. He had a great sense of humor, not even averse to running to a store across the bridge only dressed in bathrobe. Once the two of them were living together, Tobias is more of a reactive character to what was happening to Almut. He let his wife make important decisions about her body and life even if he thought otherwise, and supported her all the way.
Florence Pugh played the plucky chef Almut, who, like her rare Germanic name implied, had a "noble spirit." She chose the treatment option that will still allow her to have a child, at great risk for her own recovery. She chose to pursue one last stab at glory in her career, unbeknownst to her family, despite her deteriorating health. Pugh's method-acting highlight was that moving scene when Tobias and Ella were cutting Almut's hair for real. 7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment