To me, you are someone who leaves.
To him, you are someone who stays.
At its core, Past Lives is an exploration of the profound notion of pondering our most significant "what ifs" in life.
Unlike almost any other film I've seen, this movie beautifully captures the yearning and longing that arise when we contemplate the paths we didn't take. It lays bare the raw vulnerability that emerges as we confront the choices we made and the roads left unexplored. Yet, it also highlights the inherent beauty in such contemplation, revealing how we can find solace, inspiration, and personal growth by revisiting the untrodden paths. It delicately portrays the painful yet cathartic nature of this process, compelling even ourselves to confront our deepest desires, regrets, and unfulfilled moments.
I really can’t recommend this film enough. It’s simple, yet extraordinary, in its presentation, guided excellently by great cinematography, remarkable performances, and a gorgeous soundtrack.
What a sweet film. It didn't hit all the beats I was expecting, but at some point I just let go and let it wrap me in a big, warm hug. I identified with a part of each character; Nora's creative ambition, Arthur's insecurity, and Hae Sung's longing for more. And I get the sense that I'm not alone.
I'm still getting used to movies where two characters stand next to each other in silence for far longer than feels natural, but I'm warming up to them. I still had a real good time.
Ngl I wanted a lot more from of this. It’s quite well executed technically, but the core of this is nothing more than basic, formulaic schmaltz. Within 15 minutes you know exactly how this thing will play out. In fact, you could give this script to a Hollywood studio and without any major tweaks they should be able to make a cheesy crowdpleaser out of it. Not that this movie is entirely free of cheeseball tropes regardless, just look at the obvious presentation choices made during the big reunion moment. Needless to say, this is not the Before trilogy, what’s on its mind thematically isn’t particularly deep or interesting. Maybe I’m just saying that because I’m not a spiritual person, but isn’t this the kind of stuff that’s better suited for animated Disney movies? This isn’t a mature art film, which would be fine if it didn’t have the facade of being that. It also makes some really odd calls in regards to what to focus on. It doesn’t bother to develop the relationship of the young Nora and Hae Sung, right when Nora meets her American husband we get another time jump; these aren’t very satisfying choices dramatically. Thankfully there’s a lot to appreciate technically (the lighting, the long takes, the precise editing and blocking, etc.), but overall I think this is being massively overrated.
5/10
This and 'Love Life' made for a perfect double bill at the cinema - both covered very similar themes.
Despite being hailed as a 'great romance film' I think it is about travelling more than anything else, with an excellent final shot that most definitely confirms that.
Celine Song immigrated to Canada from Korea at age 12, cemented herself as a Canadian and then moved to New York so she has done her fair share of life-altering travels. I think it's a great directorial debut because of Celine's personal connection with her writing.
"You make my world so much bigger and I'm wondering if I do the same for you?"
Equally heartwarming and heartbreaking. Simple, but elegant. Romance is usually a flop with me, not my favorite genre but this one managed to make me emotional especially in the last few minutes. The characters and the two relationships we get here are so real and relatable. Supported by three amazing performances, beautiful imagery and a calm and soothing score. Some thought-provoking themes on fate, reincarnation, soulmates and immigration. The In-Yun stuff is a concept I probably won't ever forget. Really makes you question your life. Perfect emotional ending. Kinda scary that this is coming from a first time director, better watch out for Celine Song!
Not very often does a movie quietly unfold it's narrative with such sensitivity and grace as Past Lives; a broad but understated piece on fate, destiny, love, relationships, identity and so much more. I connected with every single layer of this movie, and felt for every character and their specific angle. In-Yun as a concept wasn't new to me, but now it has a name I'll think of it constantly as I navigate this rocky plane of existence we call life. A lovely movie with an oddly gut-wrenching comfort; bitter sweet but so enjoyable from start to finish. Every frame is beautiful yet nostalgic with it's film grain, washed out composition and wide framing. A perfect score that is as every bit wistful and full of hope as it is soft and heartbreaking.
To save myself from rambling, this was such a great movie, please do yourself a favour and let it whisk you away at your earliest convenience, I just can't guarantee you won't need tissues by the time the credits roll.
Past Lives examines the possibility and happenstance of love and relationships - past, present, and future. The film is extremely well done and Greta Lee is absolutely fantastic. Its entertainment value is its only weakness.
I just wanted to see you one more time.
I loved how understated Past Lives was, but at the same time building up so much glorious tension and longing between our two leads. The level of emotion that this film evokes is unsettling. This was truly a beautiful film reflecting on the choices we make throughout our lives!!
I'm not a romance genre fan, but when a movie is so well done in every aspect it's impossible not to like it. Great story, great acting, great cinematography and beautiful dialogues. It's a movie that will let you think many aspects of your past, present, and future life. Great debut from Celine Song, and I can't wait for her next film. I cried at the end, that's all I will say.
Like a medicine I'm immune to: I'm sure it's technically well-made but it didn't do anything for me. I'm just happy it worked on everyone else.
Though a very different story, this had the same vibe as Before Sunrise which is another movie everybody else loved but me.
I don't know, it's one of those movies you don't pause when you get up to take a leak because you don't care if you miss much and at least it'll be that much closer to being over when you get back.
But I am glad so many people whose opinion I admire got a lot out of it.
I don’t know how to feel about this movie. weird, uncomfortable but I also get it.
Kudos to the husband, I won’t be able to handle the situation like he did.
Movie was great, good cinematographic and storytelling.
But uncomfortable.
Subtle but powerful film. I ugly cried for almost an hour after watching this. The plot is so simple and feels like typical romantic movies, but the subtle acting and realism of the film really got me emotional. It’s not feel like I watched a movie it feels like I’m just sitting through real people’s lives story. I enjoyed the silence in the scenes that had so much weight of emotion in them. I understand every characters in this film, someone is just not meant to be together in this lifetime.
It is the movie about choices that people make for themselves and that affect the others. What is left behind to achieve something is usually forgotten unless you realize, it's too late.
You know bro had to hoof it back to those steps after the Uber came
I kept waiting for the story to happen. It feels like they were going for something much deeper than what they achieved. I barely stayed awake during the 20 minutes of watching people talk on Skype calls.
It's a bit difficult for me to review this movie because I had some dogshit internet speed and my experience was undermined because of the constant buffering (struggles of being a south-asian cinephile :joy:). Anyway I'll try my best, first off I'm not too big on romance that relies heavily on drama, I just need them to fall in love and happy ending woo. I also love cheesy teenage anime romance stuff so going on to this movie I expected more. But it's not all that bad, technically impressive and executed masterfully, the acting was also solid. However the pace was inconsistent, I'm usually turned off by long-running movies (ahem Scorsese) but I wish this movie could've benefitted from an extra 20 or so minutes. They could've shown us more from their childhood to really connect with the audience and showcase their relationship as kids. The later acts would've been more rewarding. The last act was somewhat painful, the husband being the third wheel was painful too and I told myself "Aight you're pushing it" when Hae Sung asked Nora if in one of their lives they had kids or something. It's still a solid dramatic romance leaning heavily on technicalities but failed to impress me story-wise or theme-wise.
Like watching paint dry. Absolutely nothing happens in the movie. What am I missing?
The best romantic movie of the decade, dare I say it. Celine Song does some truly exquisite directing work, and it's her first film! The story of two souls who meet again after 12 year cycles, based all on this Korean belief of in-yun, is wonderfully written and executed. It is touching thanks to the enormous chemistry that exists between the protagonists: Greta Lee and Teo Yoo, which overflows the screen and is contagious. Without a doubt, a story that connects with viewers at different moments and that, without being cinematically complex, projects the complexity of human life in love relationships. If there was a woman who deserved the Oscar nomination for best director, besides Justine Triet, it was Celine Song. It's not for nothing that she won all the awards for best first film. It is worth seeing and enjoying.
Past Lives seems to get lots of critic love, but whenever I talk to people, they don’t seem to love it nearly as much. This intrigues me because I can understand both perspectives. I feel this movie is highly subjective based on how much the core emotional struggle will resonate with your own experiences. For me, it hit pretty close to home. This idea of yearning, of relationships that are maybe not the right ones but are nonetheless something you desperately want. Everything is so subdued and gentle, on the surface, with the movie wearing its heart on its sleeve. Lines are delivered effortlessly and suffused with sentimentality. I found it compelling even if I understand how a lot of people might view it as just a very boring look into two people who drifted apart.
PS: Don't worry there is no spoiler, only an incentive for you to watch it.
This won't be a huge comment, but the scene at the end is worth the entire movie and even more. That scene is a result of very good writing and god-level acting and directing. I felt powerless and sad. It also demonstrates the duality between romance and life in a way that I never experienced in cinema.
:clap::clap::clap:
I don't say this about very many movies, but this one is a movie for people that like good movies. It is a fascinating and sometimes heartbreaking tale about two people who are in each other's orbit yet are still so very far away from each other. The viewer completely feels the longing that they both had, and I think that the fact that the resolution never seems to be in doubt makes it all that much more heartbreaking. It is so close, but....
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As simple as it is emotional, there is a constant melancholy that is transmitted through the looks and the soundtrack, a reflection on the past stirring the feelings of the present. What is and what could have been, defined by that Korean word, "In Yun", which speaks of the destiny of two people whose lives are destined to meet because at some point in another life they have been related. The indecisions in the gestures and glances lead to a final travelling that is already one of the images that will remain in the memory of this year's cinema.
simple and elegant, but very heartbreaking and heartwarming as well. the framing and pacing are just perfect, oscar-worthy in my opinion. could say it's that kind of movie where no word is wasted in dialogue and I could put it in the same category as Aftersun, C'mon C'mon, Her, The Before trilogy, Worst Person in the World, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, in the Mood for Love etc etc.
Care for a similar book: Adam and Eve by Liviu Rebreanu
In the end, what is there to say? Neville Goddard's Law of Assumption meets Ichigo Ichie. The flip-side of Lost In Translation. There is a poignancy in the Korean soul. Why does she cry when she loses to Hae Sung in the beginning? Who is the "winner?" Who is the "loser?"
A masterclass debut from Celine Song with three excellent central performances and an emotional impact that’ll last for ages. It’ll be difficult to find a better film this year.
this movie just made me feel a lot of things. im not a person wbo usually thinks about the “what if”, yet i can’t help but feel a sense of longing and lost after this movie. still, she’s right. what’s mattered is the present, and you can only hope for a future or next lives
Unquestionably by a director worth watching but I found the film was spoiled for me by what seemed to me to be uncomfortably one-dimensional male characters. Both of the men featured seemed mesmerized by the protagonist but it never felt clear to me why.
I liked you for who you are; and who you are is a person who leaves.
But for him, you're the person who stays.
The film features a compelling narrative and stunning cinematography, providing a rare portrayal of street reality. It has resonated deeply with me and I believe it offers the closure I seek in my life.
A beautiful film from start to finish. Amazing cinematography and an emotional story makes this a must see for everyone who loves a slow drama film. Also great performance by Greta Lee and the rest of the cast.
A sad and relatable drama. There is hope...but it still hurts.
A glance says nothing and yet it says everything.
as i grow older i increasingly relate to what if/lost loves/unrequited/missed connections romantic dramas and i don't like these feels one bit
Explores some interesting relationship dynamics but didn't quite land for me as a complete package. The entire film is focused on this relationship, with effectively no B/C plots to speak of. This resulted in the characters feeling underdeveloped and the pacing feeling rushed. The first couple of sequences felt too short. And I don't necessarily mean short on runtime, but rather short on story. The movie lingers in many scenes, creating a melancholic feel, but not much is actually happening. By the time we get to the longer, present day sequence, I haven't had a chance to fully invest in the characters and so the conflicts feel a bit superficial. That said, the performances are still strong and there was some thought provoking dialogue throughout (particularly enjoyed Arthur talking about how Nora makes his life bigger, as well as Hae Sung's discussion of Nora being the one who leaves for him, but the one who stays for Arthur).
"What if this is a past life and we are already something else to each other in our next life?"
Liked it, tooooooo slow sometimes. Liked everything about In Yeon. I had really high expectations because of what everyone said and it is not that good.
This mix of eastern belief and romantic drama was powerful and felt very unique. I love how one reviewer summed it up by saying, “It is possible to love your life and also grieve for the life not lived”. The movie is full of profound thoughts that hit all the deepest places. There is a magnetic pull to this film that is forged in poignant silences, unspoken but clearly understood dialogue and a weighty sense of longing. The acting is magnificent as much of the story is felt, not spoken. This is a film to be sat with and not to be entertained by. I give this film a 9 (uniquely powerful) out of 10. [Romantic Drama]
For some misguided reason, I thought I wouldn't like this one going into it. This opinion changed almost immediately with the opening shot, one several times better than some entire films I've watched for this Oscars race. Speaking of, Song got snubbed HARD in the director category. This is such and intimately cozy film, I could watch it on repeat and just live in it for hours
Sadly couldn't bother to finish it
"Hae Sung: If you had never left Seoul, would I still have looked for you?"
A really moving movie about the choices we make and the ones we don't, and the regrets that come with them. It also touches on the struggles of immigrant communities caught between their roots and fitting into a new society, dealing with nostalgia and cultural connections.
I’m going to be thinking about this one for a long time… wow.
"We were babies
Even when we were 12 we were still babies
[...]
We're not babies anymore"
This is such a succinct yet profound script, I'm amazed.
"Past Lives" aims to blend the usual love triangle with relatively modern themes such as emigration and cultural identity within our globalized society. At times, the old flame from Seoul acts more like a symbol of the protagonist’s Korean background coming back after her, rather than a fully developed character. While the main narrative plays out smoothly and is supported by solid writing and realistic dialogue, the surrounding themes felt somewhat sketchy, only partially touching on the true challenges and sacrifices of living abroad for many years. The direction also tends to adhere a little too much to the usual conventions and tropes of independent cinema by fresh film school graduates. In short, an undeniably tasteful and heartfelt film that, could have been much more.
Thanks to this movie it made things clearer to me.
I liked the story and cinematography in this the most. The story was unique, very different from the casual. The cinematography was wild but always satisfying.
What a beautiful movie. Every scene is aesthetic. Beautifully shot.
10/10
It was an interesting film. The story is sentimental and leaves you wondering how it will all unfold.
The story digs deep in your heart
In a movie filled with such a beautiful writing, ones that hits the most are the untold things.
How can this be heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time?
This was simple and grand and beautiful and ordinary. Sincere, sweet, and respectful. What a lovely film—and what a tenderly honest husband/wife pillow talk scene.
“I didn’t know that liking him would hurt this badly” is a line that will stick with me. I loved how real and authentic this film felt. You can easily relate to all three of the main characters, and understand where they're coming from. The ending was really good too.
In my opinion, it was a movie that made me think about what happens at the end of unfinished stories. At the same time, I wonder what it would be like? It also makes you think. "In another universe, in your most beautiful state, you join life, I will end even more."
i felt this movie in my core, it's not something i'd specifically recommend, but i really liked the concept of "in-yeon"
and the movie's vibe was on point, i really liked the back and forth skype calls, the way it tells the story with the huge gaps in years, a time skip so to say, and them finding each other in "different" lives, when they were young, then college, then adult life...
the ending, realistic as it is, sad, and heartbreaking, longing for a reality that could've been.. :(
the ending song was also very touching, i loved it
Incredible chemistry between Lee & Yoo. Everything felt genuine and sincere. If there was any nitpicking it'd be that the deliberate pacing did slow even further in the middle third when it was more Lee and Magaro on screen and my attention waned somewhat. Once Yoo arrived in NYC it was back to being a very good viewing. 8.0. Deserves the accolades it's been getting.
Hate subtitles, I have to say this is a powerful movie. Just added it to my favorites. A MUST WATCH!
"There’s a word in korean, 인연 (inyeon). It means providence or fate..."
One of the greatest. One of the most bittersweet. One of the most sensitive. One of the most poetic lines. One that makes you think. So evocative, and formidable, and exhilarating... And of course, this is the best movie of the year.
Such a moving film about how life can throw you such a curve ball that all you can do is watch it go by. I feel like there are so many different aspects of this film that many people can relate to whether it be moving away from a best friend or being unable to be with the one you want to be with. I would definitely recommend this to people, but caution them that it might make them cry.
"Past Lives" has something that not many films have: a strong and extremely fitting ending. You might think you know the basic premise, but here, you don't know where the journey is going at any point. The dialogue is authentic and natural, and the actors convey it flawlessly. Greta Lee, in particular, who I had only seen in "Russian Doll" so far, is excellent. Furthermore, all of the characters are multi-layered, resulting in a wide range of emotions. Sometimes the film is sad, then suddenly funny, romantic, or very profound. The cinematography is restrained but, at the same time, extremely versatile. The latter is also necessary since the film consists mainly of conversations, some of which only take place via a screen. Through creative camera angles, however, the whole thing still retains a pleasant dynamic. I have almost no points of criticism; "Past Lives" is definitely one of the best films of the year.
The best mumblecore movie I've ever seen... and I'm only half joking.
Amazing performances, beautifully presented, and prompting some really interesting philosophical reflection.
If you go into this expecting this amazing love story, you might be disappointed, but at least you'll walk away questioning every aspect of your life.
Shout by Peter EadesBlockedParentSpoilers2023-10-02T00:03:27Z
The film sits like a memory. It is possible to love your life and also grieve for the life not lived. Perfect.