Review of Past Lives (2023) by Markhreviews — 13 Jul 2023

Writer/Director Celine Song has used her own life story to craft 2023’s best film so far.

Nora is twelve years old and has a crush on her classmate Hae Song. Unfortunately for the burgeoning romance, Nora’s parents have decided to leave Seoul and immigrate to Canada. Twelve years later, Nora and Hae Song reconnect through the miracle of social media. Their relationship becomes a series of video calls where the sense of connection is palpable. Eventually though, Nora decides that they should stop talking for a while; she wants to focus on career opportunities in her new home town of New York City. Another twelve years later, Hae Song decides to vacation in New York City. It’s an opportunity for him to see a now-married Nora face-to-face for the first time in twenty-four years. It’s all sweet, sad and thoughtful. In the process, this film offers more observations about the human condition than any film in recent memory.

Several elements make this film outstanding. The cast is pitch perfect. As the adult Nora, Greta Lee (“The Morning Show,” “Russian Doll,” Will Aronson’s musical “My Scary Girl”) is mesmerizing. She blends her well-honed comic timing with a sincerity and vulnerability that are irresistible. As Hae Song, Teo Yoo (“Leto,” “Decision to Leave”) is equally impressive. You can often read his emotions without a word having to be spoken. John Magaro (“The Big Short,” “First Cow”) has a smaller but still essential role as Nora’s husband, Arthur. In one of the best film scenes in recent memory, Nora and Hae Song are in a bar speaking in animated Korean while Arthur sits patiently, uncomfortably beside her.

Clearly, this is a film that could have gone in a million different directions. Song deftly uses her story to explore a variety of themes – the nature of relationships, the immigrant experience, the necessary balance between work and relationships, the role of fate (and the Korean concept of “in-yun”). She does it all in an unhurried style that makes “Past Lives” feel similar to Richard Linklater’s “Before” trilogy. It’s my guess this film will be equally well-loved and critically regarded.

What’s most surprising here is Song’s self-confidence as a first-time filmmaker, given that she has the additional responsibility of being true to her own story. Many of the story elements of “Past Lives” are autobiographical. Song emigrated from Korea to Canada at age 12. She, like Nora, is a playwright. She currently lives in New York City with a husband she met on a writer’s retreat, like her character.

Realizing and respecting the power of her story, Song infuses this film with an unhurried pace that allows real emotions to develop and well-earned insights to come to the surface. Song has the self-confidence to highlight the power of words left unspoken. She uses her technique to convey the insurmountable gulf between two characters who, paradoxically, are standing two feet apart.

Like many of the best films, “Past Lives” will serve as an incentive for self-reflection for many moviegoers. You’ll leave the theater pondering the arc of your own story and the crucial “what-ifs” that have affected your own journey. “Past Lives” is a powerful, evocative experience for any moviegoer with a beating heart.