Written by: Celine Song
Starring: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro
Rating: [5/5]
Elements that make for a great story do not always mesh with the realities of things like the decisions that ultimately make the most sense. One cannot always dwell in what makes for the most romantic circumstance as much as romance films, in general, would have you believe. This practicality versus destiny dynamic plays a major part in the decision made in Past Lives, a film that challenges this idea head on but also provides us with a trio of characters so wonderful in their own ways that will leave you swooning and in heartbreak because of their decisions.
Living in New York and working as a playwright, Nora (Greta Lee) has a fulfilling marriage to her husband Arthur (John Magaro). When her first childhood crush from back in South Korea, Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) decides to visit New York in order to visit her, it begins to bring elements of their past and what this reunion ultimately means to her.
As stated by Arthur in one of their nightly conversations in bed with Nora where he states what a wonderful story it would make for Hae Sung to arrive from Korea to visit Nora where the two remember the love they have for each other stemming from childhood and run away together. A story that would happen in a romance tale where the practicality of the situation does not matter as much as the feeling in the moment. Think of the moment at the end of The Graduate where Benjamin and Elaine sit at the back of the bus after completing this huge gesture of love and it sinks in that they need to follow through with their decision. The likelihood of their relationship succeeding in the future remains immaterial to that particular film but it hinges deeply on the situation Nora gets presented with.
While so much of the emotional anguish at the center of the film lands on Nora’s shoulders, Celine Song’s perfectly crafted screenplay also weaves in the dynamic of the two men involved in this story and how they serve as active participants of this narrative. With a plot with the potential to play into the melodrama of it all where Arthur could refuse to allow Nora to see a man he sees a potential threat or Hae Sung tries to undermine Arthur for Nora to see him as the better man. None of that comes into play and the film continually shows this story centers on three real, genuine, and kind people caught up in this situation that contains its own inherent drama but does not need additional amplification to fortify the beauty of its message.
For Arthur, we have a man who fell in love with Nora at a writer’s retreat, who obviously feels somewhat uncomfortable with his wife’s childhood sweetheart visiting her and them spending time alone. Any person would even if one has the utmost confidence in their partner, but this trust demonstrates the power and beauty of their relationship. Arthur delivers some truly heartbreaking lines throughout this film about expressing his feelings and his connection and disconnection that gets at something achingly beautiful and irreconcilable in ways I could never fathom before. With as much time the film allocates to Hae Sung and Nora reconnecting, John Magaro makes each scene count with Arthur in making him a fully realized character.
Hae Sung represents this potential usurper who can come in and disrupt this relationship and Nora’s life as a whole with the promises of a young love that could rekindle into something beautiful. He brings in this storybook element to him, but also symbolizes an element of Nora of a past and country she left as a child and has never had the opportunity to return to because of her citizenship status in the United States. His search to visit her comes with the knowledge of her marriage and as he tries to figure things out on his end. This trip to New York City presents an opportunity for closure or a bright new beginning, depending on how one reads this story and the character motivations. Teo Yoo brings such a soft approach to Hae Sung, as he incorporates his general shyness but also knowledge in ways to expound upon his feelings and wishes that really makes the case for some as to why Nora should run away with him and throw everything away.
Then we have Nora, the central figure, who finds herself in a place in life where Hae Sung’s presence can rock the boat and get her potentially of her current situation and create something new. The way her relationship with the two men define what she wants in her life creates this wondrous and beautiful entryway into her mind and what she values. Leaving with Hae Sung could be what destiny demands but she has everything she wants with her life in New York as a playwright and an apartment that may not be the fanciest but provides her with the life she may not have dreamt up but keeps her content. Enough cannot be said about Greta Lee’s performance in the way she communicates with more than her words but with her eyes as she takes in these devastating moments internally and tries to piece together exactly what she wants to do.
Stepping into the world of film, Celine Song breaks down the door and announces herself as such an incredible voice and the way she makes this story work where we leave both happy and devastated by the decisions made demonstrates her talent. Not just through her screenplay, which I have already mentioned is exemplary but also the way she directs these scenes. Her decisions to let moments linger and allow the audience to fill in the blanks for themselves just makes each of these moments all the more powerful. Thinking solely of the subway scene where Nora and Hae Sung just look at each other can mean so many things depending, once again, how the audience interprets the scene. With this story drawing inspiration from her personal life where she encountered this situation, and the way she writes this screenplay makes it clear that these characters are real. Whether everything here happened to her remains a question. I do have an answer for the fact she can create something this emotionally engrossing on her first attempt makes me supremely jealous and fascinated with what she will treat us with next with her future projects.
Past Lives carries so much power and beauty in its story where the final credits roll and we feel just like Nora does and feel fulfilled. Nothing about this narrative seeks to shock or make the audience gasp from an unexpected turn of events, but to make one understand what each of these characters feel and why each of their decisions at the end makes sense for each of them. If each gets a happy ending depends on what each audience member believes and feels based on whether they’re a hopeless romantic or a realist when it comes to marriage and relationships. Celine Song tells both a deeply personal story but also one many can relate to, especially those torn between who they were in their past, who they are now, and the individuals who have appeared and made a discernible impact in each phase.
Films with Josh 
