Past Lives (2023)
Love is one of the most powerful emotions and forces of the human condition. Both bringing the souls and minds of humans to the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, it only makes sense that the emotion would find itself dissected and analyzed on the big screen. Specifically over the last few decades, there has grown to be a catalog of masterful works looking at what it means when love is present, but unable to be embraced. The most common factor given as to why these relationships are unable to bloom is time. Sometimes, time is limited and the few moments two individuals are allowed to share counts down all too quickly as it does in Call Me By Your Name and Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Sometimes, the timing is simply wrong and two souls right for each other end up on different paths that leave them unable to embrace. This is the case in Celine Song's debut feature, Past Lives.
Nora, played as an adult by Greta Lee and as a child by Seung Ah Moon, lives in New York City after immigrating from Korea to Canada. Before she left Korea, she had a close relationship with a boy name Hae Sung, played as an adult by Teo Yoo and as a child by Seung Min Yim. While this friendship, and possibly blooming romance, was nearly forgotten, the power of the internet reconnects them. After another hard split that sees another jump in time, the two reconnect as Hae Sung visits New York City and meets up with Nora who has now married a man named Arthur (John Magaro). With one of the cleanest screenplays of the last decade and a confident mature voice, Past Lives is an emotional and moving feature that defines its place wonderfully in the modern pantheon of cinematic questions of love.
There is something magical within the quiet simplicity found within Past Lives. Rather than being a film with narrative twists and turns that attempt to create a plot filled with extraordinary situations. Instead, Past Lives embraces a grounded and more simplistic drama that sees its characters work through impossible emotions in a naturalistic setting similar to the works of filmmakers such as Yasujirō Ozu. The power of Past Lives comes from the reality held within the film's narrative. One can feel the complexions within these characters and the impossible questions they must ask themselves. While the film's story is undoubtedly unique with the immigration perspective being used to perfection to highlight unique pressures from that experience, the deeper emotions of the film can absolutely be related to any individual no matter their background. Past Lives brings up questions not just of what could have been in a lost relationship, but what could have been in a lost life. Every choice changes where a human ends up and eventually, one has to compartmentalize these choices to come to an acceptance of where their life landed. Is there a choice that could have led to something grander? Is there a choice that destroys an outcome of success and happiness? Is it worth even asking these questions? When is it too late to change? What is love? Should one compare loves? Is love enough to define a future? These are all questions within Past Lives that are impossible to answer, yet the film eloquently lets them breathe and allows the audience to engage with them without ever oversimplifying the experience to provide a cleaner and more satisfying resolution.
It is with no exaggeration that one has to claim that Past Lives has one of the cleanest screenplays of the modern era of filmmaking. Without a single wasted moment, Celine Song crafts a beautiful 106-minute viewing experience that flies by, even with a more meditative tone. The film is often quiet and reflective as characters walk around New York City sharing the occasional remark or thought. The sole complaint with the screenplay would be the film's tendency to break into monologues when it really wants to express the layered emotions taking place within an individual's head. While the words and ideas of these monologues are absolutely worthwhile, their placement within the film's flow can feel somewhat awkward, similar to the monologue that takes place during a party in David Lowery's A Ghost Story.
Bringing this screenplay to life is a fantastic ensemble of performers. Greta Lee is phenomenal with a personable and thoughtful performance that is incredibly human. Teo Yoo plays wonderfully opposite of Lee with the two sharing a palpable chemistry that never invalidates the connection between Lee and John Magaro. In both of these relationships, there is love present and the fears and desires of all 3 of these individuals come to life in a wonderful web of regret and dreams. One also has to applaud the ability for these actors to find a natural groove of comedy that never takes away from the deeper emotions within the feature and instead only continue to highlight the reality of the film's world where harsh emotions are often met by fits of comedic timing.
Technically, the film brings a similar level of craft. The cinematography by Shabier Kirchner shoots New York City through an empathetic light as a sandbox for human potential and relationships. Kirchner already has proved his ability through projects like Small Axe and Bull with his work only getting better here. The score by Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen is used sparingly but effectively as a wonderful tool to enhance the impact of various key scenes throughout the film's runtime. These create an incredibly crafted yet also incredible human viewing experience that lives and breathes a unique modern cinematic presence.
Past Lives is a wonderful feature. Heartbreakingly honest as it asks impossible questions with the maturity to accept its own inability to provide the comforting promise of a right choice, the film might not always tackle the newest of emotions but no one can deny the effectiveness of the conversation that does happen on screen.
Nora, played as an adult by Greta Lee and as a child by Seung Ah Moon, lives in New York City after immigrating from Korea to Canada. Before she left Korea, she had a close relationship with a boy name Hae Sung, played as an adult by Teo Yoo and as a child by Seung Min Yim. While this friendship, and possibly blooming romance, was nearly forgotten, the power of the internet reconnects them. After another hard split that sees another jump in time, the two reconnect as Hae Sung visits New York City and meets up with Nora who has now married a man named Arthur (John Magaro). With one of the cleanest screenplays of the last decade and a confident mature voice, Past Lives is an emotional and moving feature that defines its place wonderfully in the modern pantheon of cinematic questions of love.
There is something magical within the quiet simplicity found within Past Lives. Rather than being a film with narrative twists and turns that attempt to create a plot filled with extraordinary situations. Instead, Past Lives embraces a grounded and more simplistic drama that sees its characters work through impossible emotions in a naturalistic setting similar to the works of filmmakers such as Yasujirō Ozu. The power of Past Lives comes from the reality held within the film's narrative. One can feel the complexions within these characters and the impossible questions they must ask themselves. While the film's story is undoubtedly unique with the immigration perspective being used to perfection to highlight unique pressures from that experience, the deeper emotions of the film can absolutely be related to any individual no matter their background. Past Lives brings up questions not just of what could have been in a lost relationship, but what could have been in a lost life. Every choice changes where a human ends up and eventually, one has to compartmentalize these choices to come to an acceptance of where their life landed. Is there a choice that could have led to something grander? Is there a choice that destroys an outcome of success and happiness? Is it worth even asking these questions? When is it too late to change? What is love? Should one compare loves? Is love enough to define a future? These are all questions within Past Lives that are impossible to answer, yet the film eloquently lets them breathe and allows the audience to engage with them without ever oversimplifying the experience to provide a cleaner and more satisfying resolution.
It is with no exaggeration that one has to claim that Past Lives has one of the cleanest screenplays of the modern era of filmmaking. Without a single wasted moment, Celine Song crafts a beautiful 106-minute viewing experience that flies by, even with a more meditative tone. The film is often quiet and reflective as characters walk around New York City sharing the occasional remark or thought. The sole complaint with the screenplay would be the film's tendency to break into monologues when it really wants to express the layered emotions taking place within an individual's head. While the words and ideas of these monologues are absolutely worthwhile, their placement within the film's flow can feel somewhat awkward, similar to the monologue that takes place during a party in David Lowery's A Ghost Story.
Bringing this screenplay to life is a fantastic ensemble of performers. Greta Lee is phenomenal with a personable and thoughtful performance that is incredibly human. Teo Yoo plays wonderfully opposite of Lee with the two sharing a palpable chemistry that never invalidates the connection between Lee and John Magaro. In both of these relationships, there is love present and the fears and desires of all 3 of these individuals come to life in a wonderful web of regret and dreams. One also has to applaud the ability for these actors to find a natural groove of comedy that never takes away from the deeper emotions within the feature and instead only continue to highlight the reality of the film's world where harsh emotions are often met by fits of comedic timing.
Technically, the film brings a similar level of craft. The cinematography by Shabier Kirchner shoots New York City through an empathetic light as a sandbox for human potential and relationships. Kirchner already has proved his ability through projects like Small Axe and Bull with his work only getting better here. The score by Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen is used sparingly but effectively as a wonderful tool to enhance the impact of various key scenes throughout the film's runtime. These create an incredibly crafted yet also incredible human viewing experience that lives and breathes a unique modern cinematic presence.
Past Lives is a wonderful feature. Heartbreakingly honest as it asks impossible questions with the maturity to accept its own inability to provide the comforting promise of a right choice, the film might not always tackle the newest of emotions but no one can deny the effectiveness of the conversation that does happen on screen.