We Live in Time - Review (London Film Festival 2024)

Jack Aling
Oct 20, 2024
2 min read

The Clock is Ticking.

Review written by Jack Aling

Queer is directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes. Starring Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Jason Schwartzman & Lesley Manville.

We Live in Time is directed by John Crowley and written by Nick Payne.

Starring Andrew Garfield & Florence Pugh.

An up-and-coming chef and a recent divorcée find their lives forever changed when a chance encounter brings them together in a decade-spanning, deeply moving romance.

We Live in Time consists of three key ingredients that make it destined for success: A twee British love story + Andrew Garfield + Florence Pugh. What more could you ask for?

Ultimately, where the film isn't flawless, the chemistry and world it builds around this flourishing relationship make up for so many of its imperfections. Garfield and Pugh are mesmerising to watch, both wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Their insecurities and anxieties are weaved throughout their performances building so much history in just 108 minutes.

The non-linear storytelling helps set this apart from the dozens of other heartache-inducing tragic romances, but it also prevented me from becoming totally invested, always holding me back. Maybe it's because I didn’t want to admit where the story was heading, but maybe that's the point.

As funny as it is heartbreaking and proudly British, I got such a wave of comfort despite the melancholy at the film's core. Like many, I'm sure this film will get a little too close to home but We Live in Time is not a film about illness or death, it's a film about experiencing life - the highs and lows that make the simple everyday worth living.

I'm hesitant to revisit this film for so many reasons but know I need to. We Live in Time shows the healing and comforting power of storytelling and reminds us not to take advantage of the fleeting moments of our everyday lives.