Past Lives (2023) Review!!

Synopsis – Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. 20 years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny.

My Take – Over the past few years A24 has quite solidified its reputation in the Indie space, and since one of their latest, writer-director Celine Song‘s debut feature, played to rave reviews at the Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals this year, I have been keenly awaiting a chance to see it.

And like so many other A24 films, this one too is every bit as extraordinary as it has been claimed, particularly due to its touching story of nostalgia and presentation of how lives of people often come full circle.

Featuring minimal yet profound dialogue, grounded performances and a clever subversion of romantic drama clichés, here, director Song crafts a narrative that resonates deeply, leaving a lasting impression of heartfelt emotion. This one is a story about love, loss, and the power of second chances, and it’s sure to resonate with anyone who has ever experienced the pain of separation or the joy of reunion.

Especially anyone who has gone through long distance relationships lost and then re-connected in some way. Without a doubt, this one is a refreshing departure from the often-explored narrative of lust, instead choosing to focus on the nuances of friendship, and the intricate emotions that accompany them. A beautifully made and deeply moving film that will stay with you long after you’ve seen it.

Beginning in Seoul, the story follows Na Young (Seung Ah Moon) and Hae Sung (Seung Min Yim), two classmates in school with an unspoken draw to one another. However, they’re burgeoning pre-pubescent feelings are cut short when Nora and her family migrate to Canada for better opportunities. Na herself envisions a writing career and welcomes the move, though she misses leaving Hae Sung and has one date with him before she leaves.

Twelve years later, Na Young has changed her name to Nora (Greta Lee) and is striving to be a playwright in New York City, while Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) has just finished his military service and plans to study engineering in China. Though the two re-connect through Facebook and develop a Skype-based romance, but when they realize that neither can afford a trip to visit each other physically, Nora cuts things off.

Another twelve years later, Nora is happily married to an American Jewish writer named Arthur (John Magaro), but complicated feelings begin to arise when she finds out that Hae Sung is finally coming to New York on vacation for a week and intends to see her.

Much of the film deals with Nora and Hae Sung’s two days together doing touristy things around New York. Arthur knows about Hae Sung and understands Nora’s wish to meet him but is a bit nervous about him. Much of the film deals with these two days and the Korean concept of in-yeon in which past lives are also part of current relationships. And there are inevitable questions of what might have been.

The story is simple but it bursts at the seams with emotion and humor. Admittedly slow, but without wasting your time. Here, as a writer Song manages to keep her dialogue believably light-footed and spare while as director, she confidently and evocatively captures both cities with a breadth that belies her inexperience. It’s a beautiful, transporting film but one made with both feet firmly on the ground.

She plays on a very specific feeling of aching; for a forgotten time in one’s life, for an identity, or for a lover. Showcasing a remarkable understanding of the human psyche, pulling viewers into a realm of infinite and relatable longing. Unlike other romantic dramas of our time, the film doesn’t dabble in artificial conflict or exaggerated personalities. Given the situation, it would be easy to place any one of these three characters in the role of a villain, but real life can be complicated.

The story is smart enough to know that’s not how relationships work. While some of the basic themes that the screenplay touches on may seem clichéd, viewers should know that their treatment in the story and relative to the powerful character development is completely original and creative.

There is a deep emotional impact on the viewer as the most basic themes of the story (love, interpersonal connection, friendship, immigration, cultural identity) affect the three main characters each in different and wholly authentic ways. This debut venture into the world of major cinema is a testament to Song‘s talent as a storyteller, leaving audiences no doubt eagerly awaiting her future endeavors. The visual aesthetics of the film only adds to the story.

Performance wise, both Greta Lee and Teo Yoo are incredibly charismatic and share phenomenal chemistry. Greta Lee displays a range of emotion from tears you can feel to the somber, dry expressions many show when they simply don’t know how to express their feelings. Teo Yoo is wondrously subtle as the young man who cannot forget the girl he knew so briefly.

John Magaro makes his American husband wonderfully sympathetic and unlike conventional narratives he is not projected as an obstacle but rather a differential connection that was there at the right time. Director Song is also able to elicit outstanding performances from the young actors, Seung Ah Moon and Seung Min Yim. On the whole, ‘Past Lives’ is a raw, beautiful and touching film crafted brilliantly and realistically.