The word subjectivity, so frequent in psychoanalysis and probably in various topics in the human sciences, possibly indicates to us that one of the coolest things about living and socializing is how many points of view a story can have.
How that narrative moves us, paralyzes us, stirs everything within us and in the other, who is so different from us. No, I'm not talking about the infamous fake news, that would be another level of discussion. Most of the reviews of the film We Live in Time (UK/France, 2024) probably make a point of saying that the story we're seeing on screen has already been told in various ways, almost all of them tearfully. And it has.
It's noticeable that the screenwriter (Nick Payne) has subverted to some degree, if not all, at least many, of the possible clichés of a movie where we have the possibility of imminent death, a powerful desire to make the most of the time that remains, the concessions that romantic love gives us and the overcoming or not of obstacles in the name of that same love. The non-linear chronology of the story, which, if it does confuse us, not for long, is an example of this subversion.
Just like the little mentions of a cancer that is relapsing or the protagonist's bisexuality, the latter of which is naturalized in the right way by the script. These are details that give a little context to the characters' pasts, but they are introduced quickly without taking the focus away from the present moment. You have to live in the present moment.
Much of the strength of this short film comes from the lead pair Almut and Tobias, Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield respectively. Without their charisma and chemistry, much of the film would be lost, as well as, of course, their excellent performances, considering that they are quite disparate personalities, she representing the modern woman focused on a hotly contested career, intelligent, funny, affectionate and pragmatic, and Tobias a family man who is also overflowing with sweetness and humor. I really like films in which the supporting actors make the work more lively, even in small parts, and that's what happens here.
The movie doesn't manage to avoid all the clichés of the genre, and that's not a bad thing - who doesn't like or need a cliché every now and then? But it doesn't compromise the development of the movie or the end result.
It's a good film that surprised me, that leaves you on the way home from the cinema thinking about how, with the certainty of our finitude, we can turn our little routine into a life that isn't exactly happy or sad, but interesting.
PS: the literal translation of the English title (We live in time), in my opinion, would be much more appropriate, stating that this is what the characters have decided to do, to live in time.
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