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If you are going to see We Live in Time this weekend, may I suggest that you don't forget your tissues.
This is a good thing. It's rare to find a film that manages to trigger all sorts of emotions without being too manipulative about it, and the credit for that goes to the lead actors Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh - and whoever chose to put them together.
That would be director John Crowley, and he's to be applauded because the chemistry between these two excellent actors is, frankly, off-the-scale. You are rooting for the both of them from the very beginning.
Garfield plays Tobias, an unassuming breakfast cereal salesman, and Pugh is Almut - ultra-competitive at everything. Right now, it's being one of Europe's finest chefs but in her youth, it was Olympic figure skating.
They shouldn't have that much in common, and don't until Almut runs a distracted Tobias over and has to take him to hospital.
The story of Almut and Tobias is told in non-linear fashion, jumping all over the place, which means that, as an audience, we soon learn that it isn't all going to be beer and skittles for this relationship and that structure also reflects the theme of the film which is that all of our memories are still alive in us, all at the same time. We can constantly relive and rearrange them, to make meaning, as we need to.
It's very clever - the original script is by Nick Payne - but it is the relationship between these two fine actors that elevates We Live in Time to a strong recommendation.
We Live In Time is rated M for sex scenes, offensive language and nudity and is playing in select cinemas across the motu from this weekend.
