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Any avid movie lover has been hearing murmurs about one of the – alleged – best movies this year: “We Live in Time.” Featuring beloved stars Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, expectations are high – and so are box office sales.
As individuals make their way to the theater, polarizing reviews about the film have made their way to the limelight as well. But what exactly is the general consensus on such an anticipated film, or rather is there one?
“We Live in Time” follows the story of Tobias (Andrew Garfield) and Almut (Florence Pugh) and how a single experience changed their futures entirely. It not only incorporates how they met and fell in love, but all the bits and pieces that made their life theirs. There was something about this movie that differentiated it from the rest, though. It was not shown to the viewers in chronological order.
In a Pulp Fiction-esque style, “We Live in Time” allows viewers to make their own conclusions on what exactly was going on. As the film cut to different timelines in the lives of our two main characters, it was up to the viewer to connect the dots as to how the scene we were watching was going to lead us to the next; or perhaps the previous. The timeline was skewed in a manner that was confusing at points, but still interesting.
Despite the film being a wonderful idea and central theme, many moviegoers were probably underwhelmed by the execution. With a 78% on “RottenTomatoes,” every single review is different. Some audience members described the film as “lacking” in depth and direction, contrasting entirely from others who stated it was “beautifully executed.” The reviews disagreed on many aspects of the film, but one thing especially: the end.
The ending of “We Live in Time” was not resolved nor was it a cliffhanger. It was completely open-ended. One could consider an open-ended ending – an oxymoron, in my opinion – to be the perfect way to close a movie where the whole point was making one’s own conclusions, yet many viewers were left feeling empty.
I, for one, sat in the theater for an extra 10 minutes after the film ended, expecting a post-credit scene. Despite yearning for more, after taking time to sit and ponder the film, the ending (or lack thereof) sticks with you. You continue thinking about what exactly could have happened. And the best, or maybe the worst, part is we will never know.
Produced by A24, a studio known for its strange, yet fascinating films, it is safe to say that “We Live in Time” fit perfectly within the filmography of odd pictures. This movie was weird to say the least, but it was also beautiful in its own way.
Its strangeness could be another factor in the conflicting reviews on this film but, no matter what the reviews say, there is only one way to know what it’s actually like: watching it yourself! Such disunited reviews show that it is important to draw your own conclusions, and this is the perfect film for that.
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