FilmSnobReviews

Title: Past Lives
MPA Rating: PG-13
Director: Celine Song
Starring: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins

What It Is: Nora (Lee) and Hae Sung (Yoo) are two friends living together in Korea. When Nora’s family immigrates to the United States in order to give her a better life. Now the two kids, who are close friends will never see each other again…or so they thought. Hae Sung is looking for her and while messing around on Facebook Nora finds him. At this point the two begin Skyping one and other. But for Hae Sung it isn’t enough and for Greta it’s disappointingly not enough either. During this break in speaking life gets in the way. Now Hae Sung is headed to New York City for the first time…to see Nora…we all wonder how that’ll go.

What We Think: Celine Song might have a long illustrious career as a filmmaker…at least if we’re lucky she will. This film is this generations answer to In the Mood for Love. A brilliant, stunning film that fully embraces the unsaid between two people. That uncovers how connection and bonds are hard to break. This film is at its absolute best at the end. When Hae Sung gets to New York. It really let’s the two shine and shows how real these movie characters are. They are, thankfully, real people experiencing something new…but also renewed. For Nora its a memory of a place she can only recall in pieces, for Hae Sung it is the culmination and for Arthur it is a strange situation but one that will likely further coalesce his relationship with Nora. There’s beauty in moments and even the smallest little touch or word sets off emotions in me and the audience that

Our Grade: A+, A simply incredible picture. Emotionally moving and sweepingly romantic there’s so much here to love. So much here that’s done incredibly well. I need to clarify. It isn’t romantic because of what Nora and Hae Sung do to one and other. It’s because of what we think they could’ve been. What the film does is give us glimpses of what could’ve been. Teasing us, the audience with something we want while realizing that what we have is also quite a beautiful thing. A stellar film and one you need to see immediately.