REVIEW: ‘Past Lives’ is a romantic drama triumph

One of the most common aspects of the human experience is considering how different things could be if one made a different choice or a life event went an alternate way.

In stirring fashion, “Past Lives” writer/director Celine Song explores this concept, that boils down to the simple words “what if.”

The film, inspired by Song’s own life, centers on Nora (Greta Lee), a woman whose story began in South Korea before her family immigrated to Canada when she was a pre-teen. When she was growing up in South Korea, she was close friends with a boy named Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), but the two lost contact.

The two reconnect a dozen years later via social media and begin speaking regularly via Skype, but again are unable to consistently stay in touch as life takes them on different paths. The movie then follows up with the characters in the present day, when Hae Sung is able to visit Nora. who’s now a married writer in New York City.

Song’s feature film debut as a writer and director is an exceptional one. In this sensational slow burn, Song masterfully tells an intimate, emotional story about the paths life can take a person, how important the connections made on those paths are and reflecting on the paths not taken.

The film captures this by showing the audience three phases of the main characters’ lives. Them as children before Nora immigrates, the two as young adults, and finally the duo in their present adult lives. Each time period shows moving, tender and heart wrenching moments with the characters taking steps forward in life that add a great deal of depth.

Not only do these moments in the characters’ lives create superb drama, they also actively explore the larger themes and ideas at play. “Past Lives” is very much about love, fate, the passing of time, the experience of being an immigrant, asking ‘what could have been?,’ how people become different versions of themselves, moving on with one’s life and finding closure.

All of that is remarkably portrayed through what’s happening with Nora and Hae Sung. The separation they feel, the happiness in reconnecting, the pondering of how life could be different and the acknowledgement of having to live in the present as well as how Nora perceives her own Korean identity, makes for a watch that’s captivating and thought provoking. 

Song’s writing is fantastic in that she makes every scene in the movie feel authentic, mature and heartfelt. There’s a profound realness and honesty in the movie, with vulnerability on display, that fully draws a person in. Through her direction, meanwhile, Song gives the movie time to breathe, letting each scene play out and allowing the characters to say what needs to be said, or left unsaid, every time.

Just as important to the movie is the small but sensational cast. Lee’s character has the most attention in the film and she is outstanding in the role. The movie is such a quiet, soft drama, yet Lee’s work is able to amplify what her character is going through to a very high volume. 

In the first phase of Nora’s life we see her in, Lee captures the character’s ambitiousness about getting to write in New York, the excitement that comes when she reconnects with Hae Sung and the heartache she has knowing there’s a great distance between the two. It’s such a natural performance, and helps bring Nora to life.

That’s even more true in the final act, where Nora and Hae Sung reconnect. In her head and heart, Nora is experiencing a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts about where life has taken her and where it didn’t, and Lee does award-caliber work portraying this.

Teo Yoo also deserves massive praise for his take on the character Hae Sung. The character’s arc is a bit more melancholy and Yoo is fantastic at showing Hae Sung’s somber tone in some scenes, and the resolve he shows when expressing what he needs to in others.

Arthur, Nora’s husband, also cannot go overlooked. He’s a great character, supportive and loving but also feeling somewhat jealous and even inadequate. John Magaro gives a very vulnerable performance, expressing his character’s insecurities, sensitivity and compassion he has when it comes to Nora and her experience.

While the writing and acting are what really snag a person’s attention, though, the cinematography and music need to be commended, too. The beautiful, delicate score compliments every scene so well, while the camerawork is a wonderful mix of meaningful shots.

There are emotional close-ups, city shots that detail the different worlds of the characters and long takes that let conversations and moods feel uninterrupted. The composition for the shots also capture how close characters can be while also being on paths leading them apart.

Song’s “Past Lives” is a masterful romantic drama that excels in everything a person wants from the genre. The relationships, love and sorrow all feel convincing, but the movie goes beyond these factors by incorporating so much more. From the start to its powerful ending, “Past Lives” succeeds. 5 out of 5.