Slow burners are like drinking a hot cup of tea on a cold day: they take time to adjust to but the end results are so satisfying. I felt this same sentiment after watching “Past Lives,” the new directorial debut by Celine Song, starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro. The movie spiked my interest because it was from the studio A24, the acclaimed one that brought “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” “Midsommar,” “Lady Bird,” and “Moonlight.” A24 is renowned for its films that are more indie than the more famous releases, but are higher quality. Plus, I had heard that the film had been called a masterpiece, and received enormous praise, which in turn made me more excited after I watched the trailer. The story has two main settings: Seoul, South Korea and New York City, USA as they intertwine the lives of Nora and Hae Sung, a writer and an engineer.
We first meet them as children in school around the age of twelve, and witness how their friendship blossomed among the scenery of South Korea, before Nora eventually immigrates twice and twelve years later, ends up in New York. Hae Sung tries to contact her via Facebook, and once they find each other, they start Skyping each other many days in delight. Unfortunately, they lose contact again, until twelve years later, when they see each other in person in NYC. Even then, it is clear that they have a special bond that cannot be severed between them, from their comfortable stares, their pleasant dialogue, and their ability to see each other past their flaws.
What is special about “Past Lives” is that for the first time, a Hollywood romance feels sensible, not glamorized. Oftentimes, directors or screenwriters treat audiences as if love stories have to be extravagant, a distraction from the audiences’ real lives. However, Song includes the desires of the viewers to feel part of an authentic story that doesn’t feel too far out of reach, perfectly relatable for our modern day relationships with technology.
Despite this, the film still has a magic to it that is supported by its stunning cinematography, chemistry between actors, structure, and artistic vision. Even if it can be slow, and not fully ornate with detail, Song takes the solace and tribulations of companionship and transforms it into a way that is intelligent, inspired by films like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” mentioned by one of the characters.
One of the major aspects of the storyline is “inyeon”: a Korean concept about time and fate. Nora says that even if we brush our arms accidentally against a stranger, it might be part of our destiny and that they have meant something to us in our past lives. Perhaps it was destiny that made me watch this movie in the theater with my friend, who might have also partaken in my past life. Regardless, for a nonconformist and emotional movie that transcends its shortcomings, maybe it is part of your fate to see “Past Lives.”
Arshia Manoj
