We Live In Time is a glossy romantic drama, worth seeing for the sparkling performances from Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield.
They play a pair of lovers, Almut and Tobias, whose prospects are dashed when she discovers she has ovarian cancer.
Directed by John Cowley, whose 2015 movie Brooklyn was nominated for an Oscar, the film is told fashionably out of sequence – a series of snapshots of their life together. This can be confusing at times and also limits the possibility of surprise.
They are so excited when they discover she is pregnant – but we already know they have a little girl Ella (Grace Delaney).
When Almut seems to beat the cancer the first time, it’s hard to be thrilled because we already know it will come back again with a vengeance.
For a film dealing with such a sad theme there are many light-hearted moments – such as the time the couple meet.
Tobias is in a hotel room looking in vain for a pen to sign his divorce papers. He becomes so frustrated that he storms out to buy a pen, clad in his hotel dressing gown.
As he tries to cross the highway he is hit by a car – which happens to be driven by the beautiful Almut, who is waiting when he wakes up in hospital.
Of course she invites him to the new restaurant she is opening in south London. It’s the start of a passionate love affair.
He wants to marry her and to have a family together. She is a talented chef and restaurateur, so dedicated that she is not sure she wants children.
When that’s all resolved and their life seems perfect the cancer spectre rears its head.
Even then Almut’s ambition gets in the way. Though she should be nurturing herself to fight the cancer, she is determined to compete in the world chef championships, along with her devoted assistant chef Jade (Lee Braithwaite).
This is an engrossing love story with two charismatic actors, but the film’s non-linear structure is distracting and unnecessary.
We Live In Time is now showing at Hoyts cinemas.
Watch the trailer…