Movie Review: Past Lives

It’s rare when a movie can so beautifully capture the human experience, but writer / director Celine Song’s Past Lives has done so. Gliding gracefully through 3 different time periods in the lives of Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) as they drift in and out of each other’s orbits, Song uses the story to examine the inner workings of the human heart, how we can feel inexplicably drawn to another human being, and how growing up can make us realize that maybe that isn’t enough.

As children living in South Korea, Nora, then known as Na Young, has a crush on classmate Hae Sung, who in turn has a crush on her. The scenes of the pair happily playing together are bittersweet however, as we quickly learn that her parents intend to move the family to Canada. 12 years later, Nora has now moved to New York City to pursue her dream of being a writer, while Hae Sung still lives at home and attend school. The pair wind up reconnecting via social media and begin spending long periods of time chatting with each via Skype, while slowly realizing that neither is likely to leave their current situation any time soon.

So we advance 12 more years and Nora has now met and married fellow writer Arthur (John Magaro) and the two are leading a seemingly happy life in New York. Hae Sung comes out to visit, and the connection between the two seems like it might be as strong as ever, though time and circumstance have changed each of them in imperceptible ways. Over long conversations about the existence of fate, the nature of love, and the act of growing up, the pair try to reconcile their latent chemistry with their current reality.

Past Lives is achingly gorgeous, filled with truly striking cinematography that makes New York look more romantic than any film has in ages, and anchored by a trio of subtle but powerful performances. Most of us who have lived long enough can relate to the swirl of emotions that each of these characters experiences as they try to navigate life with, without, and around each other. At one point Arthur comments on the classic romance movie set-up they find themselves in, but this movie doesn’t end the way the tropes would suggest it would. Charming and sweet but filled with great depth, Past Lives is a quiet masterpiece. ★★★★★