The Reel Review
A married New York City writer reunites with her childhood sweetheart more than two decades after she and her family immigrated from South Korea, in this wistful, romantic drama – writer/director Celine Song’s feature film debut.
Incorporating a dreamy, languid pace and a melodic score, Song creates a lyrical, deeply moving ode to childhood crushes that draws from her own experiences as an immigrant, first to Canada then New York City. Greta Lee and Teo Yoo (Decision to Leave), as the adult versions of Na Young (now called Nora) and Hae Sung, exhibit an easy, calibrated chemistry that feels intimate, tender and incredibly realistic. They explore In-Yun, the Korean concept of karma bringing together people who were lovers in past lives, as does Nora with her kindhearted novelist/husband, wonderfully played by John Magaro (The Big Short).
Past Lives is a masterful debut in storytelling – incorporating the romanticism of childhood love, the emotional complexity of the immigrant experience, the self-reflection into life paths not taken, and how modern technology has enabled individuals to easily reconnect with their pasts. The seamless code-switching Na Young/Nora does with her American husband and Hae Sung is exceptional. The film’s subtle, beautiful ending is a surprising gut punch, and will have you thinking back to your own first loves and what life could have been like through roads not taken.
REEL FACTS
• Despite having a thick accent with broken English in the film, actor Teo Yoo actually speaks fluent English, along with three other languages.
• Writer/director Celine Song says she tried to keep her two stars separated as much as possible prior to the scene where they finally meet to add to the realism. The reunion scene used in the film was the first take.
• Past Lives already has won several awards, among them: the Hollywood Critics’ Association’s Best Indie Film and Best Actress (Greta Lee).
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