A One Mann’s Movies review of “Past Lives” (2023).
“Past Lives” reminded me of Friends Reunited, launched in the UK in June 2000. It was one of the early social networking sites and let you type in your school and pull up fellow students to find out where they were and what they were doing with their lives. In my case: there were those that were ‘famous’ – Lloyd Cole from ‘Lloyd Cole and the Commotions’ was in my class and Andrew Bingham MP; girls I really fancied that were well out of my league; those girls (a much smaller subset) who fancied me but I wasn’t mature enough to take out at the time (Carol and Gillian – if you are reading this, I apologise!); and there were those that made a little dent in my young and fragile heart.
As you move through your life, you leave behind parallel ‘streams’ of relationships: ones from school; ones from university; ones from work; ones from places you’ve lived. That’s really what “Past Lives”, the incredible debut film from writer/director Celine Song, is all about. Those relationship streams, and what happens if the streams cross. (The Ghostbusters are right: you should NEVER “cross the streams”). In the film’s case, the two relationship streams are separated by 6,864 miles of geography. But in many ways, my past school life in Chapel-en-le-Frith in Derbyshire might just as well be another planet!
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
In South Korea Na Young (Moon Seung-ah) and Hae Sung (Leem Seung-min) grow up as childhood sweethearts. But Na Young’s family choose to emigrate to Canada and Na Young – now with the anglicised name of Nora – has to make the best of it. Roll forward several years and Nora (Greta Lee) is an artist and writer living in New York. But Hae Sung has not forgotten her, and reaches out to her via Skype.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: PG-13. (From the BBFC web site: “Infrequent strong language”.).
Talent:
Starring: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro, Moon Seung-ah, Leem Seung-min.
Directed by: Celine Song.
Written by: Celine Song.
Twitter Handle: #pastlivesmovie.
A triangle with irregular sides. Nora (Greta Lee), husband Arthur (John Magaro) and Hae Sung (
Teo Yoo) (Source: A24)
“Past Lives” Review:
Positives:
- The virtuosity shown in this piece of storytelling is amazing. Remember the name Celine Song… she is perhaps set to be the most famous “Celine” in a few years time! There are scenes in this film that just stay with you: the parting of young Na Young and Hae Sung (she – literally – takes an uphill path and he stays on the level); the awkward Skyping between the pair (she has to write out the Korean alphabet as she has forgotten it); the incredible blocking of the shot where Arthur first drives up at the retreat; the first meeting between the adult Nora and Hae Sung (full of awkward silences and glances); the tense first meeting of the three of them in the flat***; the bar scene that cleverly opens the film (does Arthur perhaps know more Korean than he lets on to?); that incredible final 5 minutes. Wow! Just wow!
- *** Celine Song says in the excellent interview on the Kermode and Mayo’s “Take” podcast that this scene was engineered as the first time that the two actors had actually met in real life, and this was the take she used. Brilliant!
- It all feels so real. And indeed (as I heard in that Kermode & Mayo interview) the whole idea for the film was based on the writer’s own experience of her childhood sweetheart visiting her and her husband in New York. The scripts’s dialogue is sparse but snappy with some brilliant scenes: the “is he attractive” one between Arthur and Nora (here) is superbly crafted and ends up with the insight into Nora’s scrambled brain: the observation that Hae Sung makes her feel “less Korean” and “more Korean” all at the same time. Could this get a Best Original Screenplay Oscar nomination? I think so.
- This is a perfect example of “Show Don’t Tell” in a movie. So much happens in the silences in this film, which Song isn’t afraid to just ‘let be’, and in the physical spaces between the characters. Sometimes this is uncomfortable for the viewer. In that finale (no spoilers) there is more tension in that interminable silence than in any of the dozens of action films I’ve seen this year. If you forced me to name my favourite final 5 minutes of any recent film, I’d probably have gone with “Sound of Metal“…. but this is a real contender for that title.
- The music, by Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen, fits beautifully.
Negatives:
- I really have nothing. This is cinematic perfection.
Summary Thoughts on “Past Lives”
An exquisite tale, brilliantly told by Celine Song. This is one that SURELY is going to play big at next year’s Oscars. I’d predict nominations for Best Original Screenplay, Best Director and Best Film at the very least.
You might guess that this one comes with a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED One Mann’s Movies tag. This is a film that deserves to be seen on the big screen. I was late to the game due to holidays, but it is still in cinemas so please go out and see it!
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Trailer for “Past Lives”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA244xewjcI .
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