‘Together, Pugh and Garfield are a force’

Time could also be a straight line, however reminiscences hit you in random waves. Taken in that spirit, We Reside In Time’s central gambit — to inform its love story out of chronological order — is greater than only a stylistic flourish, the type that will make Christopher Nolan proud. It’s an impressed selection that provides a layer of unpredictability to John Crowley’s weepy romcom. And due to a few powerhouse performances, its simple story packs a punch.

We’re quarter-hour into We Reside In Time once we get the meet-cute between our profitable couple, which sees acclaimed chef Almut (Florence Pugh) by accident hit Weetabix middle-manager Tobias (Andrew Garfield) along with her automotive. By then, we’ve already seen them mull over a second most cancers prognosis, in addition to take pleasure in a lighthearted second with Almut within the throes of being pregnant. We proceed to leap backwards and forwards in time, however we by no means lose our bearings. Because the highs and lows of the connection unfold and Crowley doles out happiness and despair in equal measure, it’s all pretty straightforward to observe, with Almut’s various hairstyles, the scale of her pregnant stomach, or the presence of the couple’s daughter appearing as useful signposts.

Extra vital than the when is the what. Nick Payne’s screenplay delves right into a myriad of relationship points which are wealthy of their issues, from decision-making over having youngsters, to residing for the long run versus residing for the now, and extra. The movie is at its finest when it marinates in these tough conversations, its non-judgement of its characters permitting for selections and moments which are as egocentric as they’re trustworthy, actual, and human.

All of that is elevated a number of ranges by two of the perfect actors working at present. Garfield — right here reuniting with Crowley, his director on Boy A —is good because the exceedingly common Tobias, equally adept at showcasing lighthearted humour and devastating, soul-crushing ache. However that is Pugh’s present, and she or he’s riveting and quietly transferring as her Almut strives for profession glory even whereas coming to phrases along with her mortality. Collectively, Pugh and Garfield are a drive. With chemistry in abundance, their courtship is good, humorous and awkward, every non-verbal communication of longing, disappointment and damage deeply felt. They’re straightforward to fall in love with.

The additional we get into the story, the extra the notion of legacy begins to rear its head. In a single essential scene, a annoyed Almut “doesn’t need to be remembered as someone’s lifeless mum”. It’s a sequence that’s strikingly, devastatingly truthful. But it surely’s additionally a gateway to the movie’s final message — the small moments matter simply as a lot, if no more so, than the grand gestures and large accomplishments. As rendered in We Reside In Time’s bookends, it’s a takeaway that’s particularly profound.