Cinematography: 9/10
Costumes: 7/10
Sets: 8.5/10
Acting: 9.5/10
Special Effects: n/a
Character development: 9/10
“Past Lives,” directed by Celine Song, follows two childhood friends, Na Young (Nora) and Hae Sung, over a period of 24 years as their lives play out and their paths intertwine. The film begins in South Korea, as a young Nora says goodbye to her friend and crush, Hae Sung. Nora and her family emigrate to Canada while Hae Sung remains in South Korea, and twelve years later, they reconnect online. Decades of back-and-forth contact ensue as the two grapple with their own lives and each other’s. Released in June, the film stars Greta Lee (Nora) and Tae Yoo (Hae Sung). It has made nearly $22.4 million in box offices, is rated an outstanding 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and is nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
“Past Lives” does not rely on plot to move the story forward, but rather captivates the audience through its powerful acting, intimacy and cinematography. The film centers around themes of relationships and fate, or in Korean, “in yun,” through the use of setting and time. “In yun” is the belief that two people with even the smallest relationship have met in their past lives and have something in common with each other. Nora believes that fate is the reason she and Hae Sung reconnect. The “invisible string” of life ties Nora and Hae Sung together throughout the film: no matter how far they drift or for how many years they are apart, they always seem to come back to each other. Continents apart, oceans away and years of separation between them, the two remain connected. Fate is a powerful motif throughout “Past Lives,” expressed through a combination of dialogue, cinematography and subtext. Every detail of the film was carefully thought through to parallel different times in Nora and Hae Sung’s lives. The attention to detail is impeccable; no matter how many times you watch the film, there will always be another detail or subtle parallel you missed the first time. However, we also think that “Past Lives” was slow and we wish that the plot picked up at certain points because it lacked moving the story forward.
The film’s nomination for Best Original Screenplay was well deserved, and thanks to its analytical and thoroughly thought-out script, we believe there is a high chance that Celine Song will win in this category. Disappointingly, Greta Lee was not nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role, although many believe she should have been. Lee’s portrayal of Nora was sensational, in scenes with little to no dialogue, she was able to convey everything left unsaid in an extremely moving way. She personified Nora not just as a character, but as a real person.
Since it’s only the first of our many pre-Oscar reviews, we think it’s too early to tell if “Past Lives” is a Best Picture winner. It is a captivating film that completely brings “invisible string theory” to life, and for those who enjoy something slow yet meaningful, we highly recommend it. It’ll leave you reminiscing on your childhood crush, your first love or that person you passed on the street the other day and thinking that maybe those stories aren’t finished yet. For us, the moral of “Past Lives” is that letting go and moving on is a necessary aspect of life, but the experiences, memories and feelings that come with relationships are never forgotten.
