First Take: We Live in Time - the director of Brooklyn + Film4 funding = a great start to 2025

SYNOPSIS: An up-and-coming chef and a recent divorcée find their lives forever changed when a chance encounter brings them together, in a decade-spanning, deeply moving romance.

Next year marks 10 years since John Crowley made the criminally underrated Brooklyn - and while there have been ups and downs with his work in the Hollywood system (infamously making The Goldfinch for Warner… and it bombing big time), at long last he is back making independent film with StudioCanal and A24. So ahead of its release on New Years Day on these shores and earning many plaudits at the BFI London Film Festival and various preview screenings during December, it gives me a lot of pride to say that he’s back on form with his latest work, which, believe it or not, was exec produced by one Benedict Cumberbatch.

Crowley does a hell of an effort to tell this story in 1 hour 48 minutes, with most of the film being all killer no filler - the nonlinear nature of it does take a bit of getting used to but ultimately that script from Nick Payne delivers a lot of light and comedic charm to really emphasise the darker moments of this film, of which there are many considering the subject matter. Tissues definitely advised, even recommended for the second half, and that’s about as much as I can say about the plot without revealing how it plays out. It’s shot brilliantly by Stuart Bentley, and with Bryce Dessner (of The National) on score duties, it looks like an A24 commission, sounds like an A24 commission, and importantly has the star power to prove it.

At its core are two performances from talents who arguably command any film they make - on their own, Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield have had stellar careers but combined, they create some absolute magic and sell this plot so incredibly well with young Grace Delaney playing their daughter (and by all accounts forming a lifelong bond with Pugh and Garfield if recent Instagram posts are to be believed). Supporting them are talents like Niamh Cusack, Aoife Hinds, Kerry Godliman, Adam James, Douglas Hodge and many more, but it is the work of that main trio which take this film into the realms of a very special release. I honestly hope it opens well because it is not often that the local film industry can hit it out of the park like this.

THE VERDICT

We Live in Time is going to break many hearts when it goes wide in UK cinemas next week, and while it might get some awards nods from BAFTA at the very least, it’s another gem supported by those fine folks at Film4, continuing their fantastic strike rate of backing homegrown talent. Yes, it takes a while to get into but by god does it stick the landing.

RATING: 4.5/5