As the year draws to a close, writers are drawing up their Top 10 lists of media, including this year's best movies. We Live in Time is bound to crack a few of those lists, due to the approach writer/director John Crowley takes in regard to the relationship between couple Tobias (Andrew Garfield) and Almut (Florence Pugh). Not only does Crowley explore the ups and downs of this relationship, but he takes a non-linear approach to exploring it, resulting in some moments that are surprisingly funny while others are emotionally devastating. It's this approach that's partially responsible for We Live in Time being one of A24's highest-grossing films, but it's not the first time that Crowley took an unorthodox approach to a film, nor is it the first time he centered a film around the odd quirks of human behavior.
That honor goes to Intermission, which Crowley directed in 2003. Intermission is about a collection of people in Ireland who slowly start encountering each other over the course of a day. Sometimes, this results in new relationships being formed — other times, it results in petty crime. But what makes Intermission stand out is its darkly comic approach to certain matters and a cast that includes Cillian Murphy and Colin Farrell.
‘Intermission’ Is the Polar Opposite of ‘We Live in Time’
Where We Live In Time focuses on the beauties of romance, Intermission is about all the different ways people screw each other over. Nowhere is that more clear than with the opening act: Farrell's Lehiff is shown flirting with a cashier before physically assaulting her and stealing the money out of her till. That's not the only burst of black comedy scattered throughout the film — Sally (Shirley Henderson) was in a relationship that went south in the worst way. Murphy's John has just lost his girlfriend Diedre (Kelly Macdonald) and winds up joining a bank heist to try and win her back. Jerry Lynch (Colm Meaney) is an aging detective who thinks (wrongly) that he's in the mold of Dirty Harry; this backfires when he challenges Lehiff to a fight and gets a revolver pulled on him.
In fact, the ups and downs of humanity are present in Farrell and Murphy's characters. Lehiff is shown to be an unrepentant criminal; he doesn't care who he hurts, steals from, or even kills as long as his pockets are lined. John, on the other hand, is at his wits' end trying to win Diedre back. The only reason he goes along with the heist is because Diedre's new boyfriend Sam (Michael McElhetton) is the manager there. When the heist goes south, John ends up bolting, and Murphy's freakout is utterly hilarious. It's the same type of nervous, volcanic energy that he'd end up bringing to Peaky Blinders.
‘Intermission’ Features an All-Star Irish Cast – and an Award Winning Stuntman
Though Intermission fell short of its box office goals, it earned rave reviews. Roger Ebert was a major fan, writing that "there’s enough material here for three bad films, and somehow it becomes one good one." Part of that is due to the film's unique approach, as parts of it are shot like a documentary, which has the odd effect of making the audience feel less like they're watching a movie and more like they're watching something that could truly happen. This is actually baked into the plot, since Lynch has filmmaker Ben Campion (Tomás Ó Súilleabháin) capture his exploits on camera. Believe it or not, this is what leads Lynch to think he can take on an unrepentant criminal in a fistfight.
Intermission was also notable for featuring a cast of actors that became well known for their American work. Murphy had his breakout role in 28 Days Later a year before Intermission's release. Farrell had a hot streak in 2002 with S.W.A.T., Phone Booth, and the spy film The Recruit. Meaney was well known for his role on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Other cast members would find success in later years, as McElhatton joined Game of Thrones and Macdonald voiced a bona fide Disney princess with Brave. But the most unlikely success story belongs to Patrick Condren, who was the first Irish stuntman to be nominated at the World Stunt Awards. With its wild storyline and all-star cast, Intermission makes for a great double bill with We Live in Time.
Intermission is available to stream for free on The CW's official website in the U.S.
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