Dramas about romantic relationships exist as a dime a dozen. With a non-linear framework, 2024’s We Live In Time attempts a twist on the genre.

A recurrence of ovarian cancer hits chef Almut Brühl (Florence Pugh). She and husband Tobias Durand (Andrew Garfield) discuss how best to deal with this life-threatening event, especially due to concerns how it might impact young daughter Ella (Grace Delaney).

From there the film flashes back to show how Almut and Tobias met, fell in love and started a family. The tale mixes these elements with “present day” developments as Almut copes with her cancer.

With a story such as this, I go into it with one big question: does the non-linear framework add anything to the project? Not really.

Our knowledge of Almut’s potential death acts as a ticking time bomb, one that adds some tension to the affair. However, I don’t quite understand why a relationship tale such as this needs that level of suspense and the tease of impending doom.

I’m all for shaking up the standard structure if it adds to the movie’s impact. In this case, however, it simply feels like an unnecessary contrivance.

And it makes a simple story confusing at times, partly because Almut goes through cancer twice. This means it can become tough to pin down which occurrence is which and figure out where we are in the chronology.

Perhaps some would argue that audience clarity about various points of the story doesn’t matter. I feel differently, mainly because I think that if I need to devote thought to where the characters stand in their relationships, I can’t invest in the narrative very well.

That definitely becomes the case here. Time flits about from one point to another so randomly that it just becomes a mess.

Again, I get the desire to play with what otherwise might become a standard issue romance mixed with tragedy tale. Nothing about the inherent plot seems new or fresh, so the non-linear presentation turns into the only way the filmmakers can differentiate their movie from so many others.

It just doesn’t work. The jumps in chronology become a distraction and don’t add anything positive I can find.

Time also casts such a broad net that it comes with little depth. We get a “hits reel” of the lives of Almut and Tobias but not much more.

This means they never become especially impactful characters, and the jumpy structure actively makes them less coherent. Because we flit about so much, we don’t get to see the roles develop in a natural manner.

Time desperately wants to deny that it delivers a weepy melodrama, and that becomes an issue. Whether they want to admit it or not, the filmmakers chose that basic path, so attempts to pretend they made something else feel phony.

I can’t fault the performances of Garfield or Pugh, as they handle their parts fine. Actually, Time doesn’t ask that much of Garfield, but Pugh gets the more challenging part, and she does nicely.

I just wish the actors did their work in a more compelling movie. Time seems so preoccupied with its quirky narrative structure that they forget to create three-dimensional characters and a strong story.

We Live in Time appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.39:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The film’s visuals looked very good.

The shows offered solid clarity. Nary a sliver of softness impacted this tight presentation.

No issues with jagged edges or shimmering appeared, and I saw no edge haloes. Source flaws failed to mar the presentation.

Time opted for a palette with a definite teal and amber tint, though some reds appeared at times as well. Within those parameters, the colors seemed fine.

Blacks were deep and tight, while shadows appeared positive. Overall, the film provided appealing visuals.

Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, the film’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack suited the story but won't win any awards. The soundstage appeared nicely broad at the appropriate times and could be moderately engulfing on occasion. It's a talky little movie, so the focus was mainly up front, but the audio expanded when necessary.

This occurred mostly via scenes in streets or restaurants, so the surrounds didn’t have a lot to do. That said, the imaging made sense for the narrative.

Sound quality seemed fine. Dialogue always appeared crisp and natural, and I had no trouble understanding it. The score was warm and distinctive.

Effects also seemed realistic and adequate for the task at hand. Live won't provide anyone's demo tracks, but the mix worked well for the film.

As we move to extras, we launch with an audio commentary from director John Crowley and screenwriter Nick Payne. Both sit together for a running, screen-specific look at story and characters, editing and the film’s structure, sets and locations, music, and connected topics.

On occasion, we get some good insights. In particular, we find useful thoughts about the challenges related to shooting a non-linear story.

However, too much of the track winds up with a mix of happy talk and dead air, and Payne’s tendency to simply mutter “mmm” in response to Crowley’s statements gets irritating quickly. Though not a complete loss, the commentary lacks a lot of value.

A Whole Life runs nine minutes, 41 seconds. It offers notes from Crowley, Payne, director of photography Stuart Bentley, and actors Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield.

The featurette looks at story and characters, the film’s structure, and cast and performances. It comes with minor insights at best and largely remains fluffy.

Inside the disc’s sleeve, we get six Photo Cards that depict shots from the film. These seem harmless but not much of an addition,

Although We Live In Time attempts to offer a chronological twist on its genre, it still feels like a fairly standard romantic drama. The non-linear framework just muddies the narrative waters and adds nothing positive to the film. The Blu-ray boasts excellent visuals, appropriate audio and a few bonus materials. Despite a solid lead cast, the movie fumbles too much to succeed.