Is Love in the Present a good movie? Viewers have their say on the drama starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh

What if 2025 started with emotions on the big screen? That’s What Love Presents Presents, which marks the reunion of Andrew Garfield and John Crowley, the director who brought it to our cinemas in 2009 with Boy A.

16 years later, the English actor no longer plays a convict, but a man who faces life, love, death, illness, parenthood… in a drama where the audience can easily identify and whose main strength is the duo. It forms with Florence Pius, a phenomenal alchemy. But what did the audience think of this film?

With an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 190 ratings, Love Now is currently the second best movie from its director, John Crowley, behind Brooklyn (3.9), but behind… Boy A (4.1).

As for Andrew Garfield, we have to go back to 2021 and Tick, Tick…​​​​​​​Boom! on Netflix to find such a highly rated movie. And it’s one of the lowest-rated features of Florence Pugh’s career to be considered, as Love in the Present ranks behind the spectacular scores of Oppenheimer (4.3) and Duna 2 (4.5).

What do viewers think of “Love in the Present”?

“Love in the Present is a wonderful romantic drama, where the sweetness of feelings is intensely conveyed by a masterful duo (Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh) who show on screen all the fragility of life together”said Lil Sprite (5 out of 5), who is not the only internet user to praise the pair’s performance and demand that the English actor be given an Oscar.

“A showcase of poetry full of precision that touches the heart”confirms Pauline S. (same note), happy A “The Year to Start Flying” : “This first screening of 2025 is Garfield – the duo work beautifully, they grace the screen and play with incredible sensitivity.”

Garfield has the physique for the job, and his duet with Pew is simply magical to the point that even the most insensitive people fall in love with him.predicted Proud R. (4 of 5) while VRM Auri (same) states that they “They were made for these roles and are a great pair.” which is “Honestly Crying” according to Bastien Lemieux (4 out of 5) Also.

“A glorious romantic drama where the sweetness of feelings is intensely conveyed by a masterful duo”

“Just by their presence and the instant alchemy that forms between the two on screen, The Times We Live In could have been a compelling genre proposition in its own right if the film had been content with a classic narrative.”writing RedArrow (4.5 out of 5), which speaks of A “Surge of Emotions” And offers a transition to another important point of the feature film.

“But no, it wasn’t enough! That devil John Crowley (Brooklyn) had to choose the fragmented, chronologically deconstructed love story lived by his characters, Almut and Tobias, to make his feature film a little awesome! “The non-linear editing is a great choice that really gives the sense of infinity to the love that these two people can have for each other.”in turn confirms McPuff (4 out of 5). “We leave the room shocked, sad and happy at the same time.”

“It has the merit of never losing us and making the story more dynamic and unexpected than an endless narrative thread with encounters, love at first sight, passion, habits, problems (or crises, or dramas) followed by reconciliation. Is it a romantic comedy or a breakup or a melodrama?adds to this topic Proud R. with a nuance: “Now, it’s entirely possible that the film would have had the same emotional impact if it had been edited chronologically, but that certainly makes it less common.

“We leave the room shocked, sad and happy at the same time”

But the narrative is what divides viewers the most, while some internet users (including Simon R and Vincewho rate it 3.5 out of 5) point to archetypal themes and storylines. “The film is clearly disturbing”start Nick R. (3 out of 5). “But one day, during the final phase of creating a cinematic object, they had some crazy editor who completely changed pieces of the narrative puzzle… so we spend the whole movie jumping around in ‘space-time… and it’s a bit of a headache.’

“It’s a shame you sometimes get lost in the vicissitudes of their relationship”Regret Remy S. (same note) same as Bart Sampson (Also 3 of 5): “I’m not sure about the continuous temporal back and forth that requires mental gymnastics to connect all the pieces of the puzzle.” “If the essence of the story is not particularly original, after all, the director has focused on the form of the story, with a temporary deconstruction, which makes it possible to avoid the predictability of events, or in any case to try. “Analysis Traverse 1 (2.5 out of 5).

“But the method has its drawbacks, namely, the consideration of all issues in the first quarter of an hour: The happy events and the less so, in a sequence of scenes arranged in a chronological puzzle style. It becomes clearer in minutes, not always when certain situations find a late explanation, which was in fact located earlier, but sometimes the inconsistency of action.

“Despite decent acting, we don’t believe it”

“That’s why the prefab side dominates to a certain extent, especially since the staging reflects absolute classicism and the script itself constantly limits any form of emotional impact due to its structure.”said Naughty Doc (same note), which still ends positively: “To see the great chemistry between Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, who can elevate any scene with their simple presence.”

with what TheCriticMan (2 out of 5, lowest rating so far) Disagree: “Andrew Garfield, as usual, is emotionless, a poker face that doesn’t convince. His relationship with Florence Pugh lacks credibility, and despite decent acting, we don’t believe it.” There must have been dissonance at this level.

in short

The alchemy between Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh is breaking and (almost) unanimously loved by Love in the Present viewers. What is more divided is its form and content: while some welcome the precision of the film and its fragmented narrative, which increases the impact of the story tenfold, others regret the classic themes and editing in which we get lost. Even if the reviews are generally (very) positive, like an average rating for a feature film.

and you What did you think about the present love?

*Remarks on Thursday, January 2, 2025