Past Lives: A Poignant Painting Of Relationships, Identities & Possibilities!

One of the year’s best and a must watch movie! A slow burn movie that touches your heart! A though provoking movie that spans time and continents!

Celine Song’s debut movie beautifully captures the lives of two childhood friends over a two decade period where they explore their relationships in the backdrop of life events. Nora & Hae Sung are academic rivals and friends who once go on a parent brokered ‘play date’. The boy is in awe of the girl but she emigrates to Canada.

Thanks to social media and digital world, they reconnect after twelve years but begin to drift apart again as Nora is committed to her ambition and explores the life she desires. Hae Sung finally meets Nora after another twelve years, as he plans a vacation to New York to meet the established playwright Nora, who is married to writer Arthur. How the meeting unfolds and unravels the nostalgic emotions is what makes Past Lives a brilliant and reflective piece of art!

The Korean concept of “in-yeon” is central to the movie.

The movie thrives in the power of saying the unsaid – eye contact, silence, stillness, music, backdrops etc. Watch the powerful ending…..soul moving!

The movie is a master class in story telling, cinematography, music, acting and direction. Hae Sung (Yoo Teo) wins your heart as a handsome, sweet, dignified, mature and totally romantic protagonist. Nora (Greta Lee) is confused, vulnerable, practical and emotionally torn. Arthur (John Magarro) makes a great impact as Nora’s husband. Celine Song’s direction is truly amazing – full marks to her for a perfect debut.

Past Lives – A movie about love, loss, marriage, career, culture, diaspora, nostalgia, relationships and destiny! How our relationships affect our lives!

A must watch movie!