Andrew Garfield on love, loss, Elmo and processing it all in his new film, We Live in Time

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When The Amazing Spider-Man star Andrew Garfield first donned the web-strewn Lycra costume last worn by Tobey Maguire, he became the definitive version of Peter Parker's superhero alter ego for a new mob of teenagers.

But it's arguable that a smaller move, late last year, made the two-time Oscar nominee a real hero for a far more impressionable generation.

Garfield opened up about his sadness after his mum, Lynn, passed away in 2019, saying the pain gave him a lot of comfort as he thought about how close she was to him.

"Yeah, isn't it a ripper that we get to feel that kinda sadness deep down because we care so deeply?" he points out as we have a yarn about his new flick, that heart-tugger of a rom-com We Live in Time.

Garfield hopes that his heart-wrenching chat with Elmo, a genuinely touching moment of vulnerability, will assist in arming more kids with the skills they need to deal with loss, reducing the social stigma around discussing it.

I reckon it's something I wish I'd understood sooner, as a young bloke, about how life and death work and how short life is, mate," Garfield says, slouching back in an armchair. "About how we're just made of organic stuff, just like plants and animals. That every living thing's got a limited time, and then it breaks down.

Spiky moments

The flickerin' flame of our existences burns brightly in We Live in Time. The flickerin' flame of our existences burns brightly in We Live in Time. The film co-stars Florence Pugh as high-end chef Almut, who accidentally runs over Garfield's clumsy marketing bloke for Weetabix and soon-to-be-ex husband Tobias, on the day he's meant to be signing the divorce papers, leading to a pretty awkward meet-cute in the hospital.

It's the fairy-tale romance that's a dream come true. But things don't go as planned in this heart-wrenching film from Aussie actor-director John Crowley. With a script by The Crown scribe Nick Payne, it unfolds in a non-linear style.

We see scenes of Almut and Tobias brawling over careers and having kids, interspersed with the pair breaking the bad news of her cancer diagnosis to their young daughter, Ella (Grace Delaney).

It's a real mumbo jumbo to work on a project like this, if you know what I mean," Garfield says. "The real game-changer, though, was the script being a ripping yarn with a clear picture of where everything's at, if you catch my drift.

It's a fair dinkum bonus having someone as down-to-earth as Pugh to share a laugh with, with the sizzle between them really flying.

"Having a scene partner who's keen to go all-in on the deep and emotional aspects, but also not afraid to have a laugh and bring some silliness to the role, that really helps," he agrees.

There's convincing tension, too, visible in the way Tobias reaches the end of his tether when Almut pursues her passion for her career, even when she's feeling unwell.

I reckon it'd be unfair to make Tobias out to be some perfect, supportive bloke straight out of a fairy tale," Garfield says. "He's got some rough edges and he's got some baggage. He can be a bit clingy and needy, and he probably buries a lot of his anger, so when it does surface, boy, it comes out in a major way.

Gobsmacked, we met Delaney, she was a piece of cake to work with, except for that well-known saying in the entertainment industry. "Don't work with animals or kids" being one of 'em. But bwah, Grace was absolutely as sweet as, she loved being on set and playin' with us, whereas our other mob, the dog, was a bit more trouble.

As she settled in with us, it only got more enjoyable, with no pretending needed. It's like you're taking care of a genuine little kid who's got real emotions, be they small or big, and you've got to make sure they feel looked after and safe. That's really special.

In safe hands

It was also great to get back to a film series by Crowley. The Irish director had cast Garfield in his intense feature debut, Boy A, in which he played a young offender trying to escape the horror of a murder he committed as a kid.

"We've been on the hunt for something to tackle again since then, and it's taken us a while, but we've finally found something that feels just right for both of us at this stage," Garfield says about We Live in Time.

I'm a big fan of him as a filmmaker and as a person, and I really appreciate how soft and empathetic he is with the actors - it's like you want to open up and be your genuine self in front of him.

Garfield reckons that being so open is one of the highlights of his career so far.

I've found it to be more of a gift, personally, to have a job that lets me turn my life experiences into something positive," he says. "I get to express me feelings and use 'em to guide the characters or the people listening to the stories.

Reaching out to the public, he shared his grief with Elmo.

That's what storytelling's all about," Garfield says. "It's been a way for people to connect and heal themselves since we first sat around campfires. So, making a film like this, I get to do some personal healing as well while hopefully helping an audience tap into their feelings about their own lives.

It's a win-win situation, he says. "It makes me feel connected to communities beyond me, to something meaningful, and it connects me to my own life in a refreshing, rejuvenating and substantial way."

We currently have "We Live in Time" showing on the big screen in cinemas.