When we first see the three leads past lives- Astonishing debut as a writer-director Celine Song—it happens across a bar when two strangers are trying to figure out how this group knows each other. How do they look at Nora (Greta Lee), Hae Song (Yu Theo) and Arthur (John Magaro), these two patrons of the bar are guessing: who is married, who is related, who is the third wheel in this equation. During past liveswe, too, are trying to figure out what these three will turn out to be, what they mean to each other and what their stories are in a heartbreakingly romantic, impeccably told and masterfully crafted film that may well be the best film of 2023. .
The song takes us back 24 years to this bar hangout, showing a young Nora and her family preparing to emigrate from South Korea. Before they leave, Nora goes on a date with a child from her class with whom she has a crush, Hae Sung. After a sweet time together, they part ways as Nora and her family fly thousands of miles away.
The song then cuts to 12 years later as Nora is now at school in New York where she finds out that Hae Sung was looking for her. The two find each other again, begin an online friendship, and become almost inseparable in their long Internet conversations. Throughout the rest of the movie, Song builds on that moment at the bar, telling a story that takes place over a quarter of a century and shows how much we change and the relationships in our lives can change as we grow up. older and develop.
Just like last year’s incredible Return to Seoul, past lives shows how many lives we have lived in this one, and how we become new, different people, despite the fact that we remain who we are. For example, the childhood version of Nora is understandably completely different from the Nora we meet in college, who is also different from the person we meet today. Of course, there are elements of the person who exists, but we keep the core and develop, no matter what. But past lives is also a matter of perspective in many respects. Nora could see herself growing up in South Korea as a completely different person, but for Hae Sung, who had those childhood moments as his only time spent with this girl who had intrigued him for years, it almost becomes the core of his understanding of who she.
past lives often returns to the idea of ”inyoung”, which has moments that bind each other throughout their lives. This could be someone passed on the street, or someone with whom the person had a meaningful relationship. But no matter what, inyeon explores the idea that all of our encounters, all of our relationships were predetermined, that we were meant to meet these people in our lives and they make an impact no matter what. It is this basic idea that makes past lives such a touching sentence as we watch Nora and Hae Sun grow, change, get closer and further apart.
Since this is a movie and we expect stories like this to end in reunion and love, Song plays with those expectations but makes their relationship just as important no matter how the story might end. At some point, the character remarks that if this story were a movie, he would be seen as a villain, a person who gets in the way of what the public wants. It’s a cute moment that’s not entirely wrong, but Song’s playing with those complex ideas and emotions makes this story all the more powerful in the long run. This is not a story about happy endings or disappointing conclusions, this is a story about the complexities and intricacies of our lives and our relationships, and how our paths in life will never turn out the way we expected. And sometimes this uncertainty and surprise is even better than we imagined.
Greta Lee is great as Nora as she still embodies the playfulness and curiosity that made her such a sweet child, but it’s important for her to show the path that life takes us, which in some way changes us while keeping our hearts. former. . Yoo Teo is also great as Hae Sung, who can’t get the girl he fell in love with as a child out of his mind. This love ends up being incredibly sweet and touching thanks to Yoo Teo’s acting, and it’s hard not to root for his reunion with Nora. While he doesn’t get nearly as much screen time as the duo, Magaro is also a wonderful addition to this group, whose looks and fears and anxieties make him a character that could make him a cliché, but instead, makes him one of the most likable and gentle characters in this generous undertaking.
Song has created a film that perfectly captures the turmoil of life. The song explores the idea of some things that never happened in our lives that we almost expected could happen, but still with the satisfaction that our life went exactly where it was meant to be. For a debut feature film, it’s amazing how Song handles these delicate and intricate ideas with great care and attention. past lives it’s not necessarily regret, but rather an acknowledgment that the choices we made in our lives were the right ones, and a growth that causes our desires and passions to change over the years. Song does it with a quiet, understated story, beautiful in every frame (Song works with small ax cinematographer Shabir Kirshner here) as she tackles topics that would be difficult to do justice to even an established and accomplished filmmaker. look past lives it’s to see Celine Song become one of the most exciting new directors of the future.
Song’s work here is incredible as this story of past and present and what it means for the future is a carefully crafted story told with love and heart. Greta Lee, Yu Teo and John Magaro create an incredible trio of roles, each providing a unique and important perspective on this story, in a film you won’t want to leave and will stay with you for a long time. . past lives not only the best film of the Sundance Film Festival this year, but also likely to be among the best films of 2023.
Rating: A
Source: Collider
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