Film Review: PAST LIVES (2023): Celine Song’s Touching Ode to the Human Condition is Simply a Masterpiece

Past Lives Review

Past Lives (2023) Film Review, a movie written and directed by Celine Song and starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro, Moon Seung-ah, Leem Seung-min, Jack Alberts and Jane Kim.

Watching writer/director Celine Song’s heartfelt masterful work of art, Past Lives, feels like slowly opening a delicately wrapped gift from the very talented filmmaker. This new film is so emotionally moving and profound that it sets the bar pretty high for any human drama that will come after it. It would not be the piece of perfection that it is without the three central performances showcased in the movie. Greta Lee is a revelation in the most truthful performance to be seen in a movie in a long time. Teo Yoo and John Magaro’s work complements Lee’s enormously well resulting in a movie that is sure to earn a best screenplay Oscar nomination and the picture could carry its success all the way to awards season in some of the major categories.

The film opens with three people seated at a bar: A woman and two men, all seemingly close in age. We don’t know their relationship to one another but somebody is watching them and wondering aloud how these three know each other. Then, the movie takes us back 24 years to South Korea. A couple of young competitive kids are discussing their academic progress. There’s the young version of Lee’s sensitive character, Nora (Moon Seung-ah) and the young version of the Teo Yoo character, Hae Sung (Leem Seung-min). They interact with one another while enjoying each other’s company playing and talking together. Nora has to move and must say goodbye to Hae Sung which breaks his heart.

12 years pass by. Hae Sung is coming off military duty. He looks for Nora on her dad’s Facebook page. Somehow, Nora and Hae Sung begin communicating online with one another. Hae Sung is in Seoul and Nora is in New York. A long distance relationship develops between them for a period of time. Nora aspires to develop her career as a playwright in New York, however, and can’t just drop everything to travel to Seoul to be with Hae Sung. After some emotional discussions and computer interactions, Nora decides to take a break from Hae Sung.

Soon, another 12 years pass and the meat and potatoes of the movie go into effect fourfold. We are told that Nora is now married to another writer named Arthur (John Magaro). Arthur is an American and has written a book that doesn’t seem like the most sophisticated one on the market. As the plot develops, we learn that Arthur and Nora got married and that helped Nora secure a green card. But, they truly love each other despite how it may seem.

Here’s where the complexity of the story line takes off. Hae Sung is coming to New York and is going to be meeting with not only Nora but also her and Arthur together. Hae Sung has broken up with his girlfriend recently which makes him vulnerable. But, it’s just a friendly get together for Hae Sung and Nora, right?

There are a number of great New York-based scenes such as when Hae Sung and Nora see the Statue of Liberty together while riding on the ferry. The emotions between the three central characters in the picture start to run deep and the “past lives” that Hae Sung and Nora soon had as a couple merge into the present ones that they are living in such a way that both characters will have to decide what the best thing is for them, especially considering that they have an usually powerful connection together. Of course, Nora has much to lose in her life if she were to pursue a romance with Hae Sung.

The success of Past Lives is dependent on many things but John Magaro’s Arthur’s on-screen presentation is the most important part of it all. He could act like a jealous husband and forbid his wife to see Hae Sung or he could respect his wife’s choices and let the chips fall where they may. This movie is smart enough to show that Nora is a smart woman who cannot easily jeopardize the life she has built for herself with Arthur just for love. Or could she? Hae Sung is written so terrifically that the audience will wonder where this story is going to go. Never once does Hae Sung pressure Nora into making any sort of decision. He respects her and that is what makes the movie so realistic and compelling to watch.

Greta Lee is a force of nature to stand up and root for. Her Nora leaps off the screen with vulnerability, passion and sincerity. Her strongest scene is when she discusses with her husband some of her characteristics which are undeniably Korean in nature versus other traits of hers which are completely non-Korean. Of course, as expected, the emotions in the last scenes of the picture run deep for all involved.

John Magaro impresses and then some with the film’s most difficult role. The audience may go back and forth between thinking he’s a jerk and thinking he’s a wholly sincere guy. Both analyses could be correct. He’s a jerk in that certain things he says are trite but he’s also brave and strong for letting his wife make up her own mind as to what she will do in regards to the relationship she has formed with Hae Sung. Arthur has built a relationship with Nora over the years and it’s a strong one which makes the audience quite curious what will happen as the final moments of the movie play out.

Past Lives is a story of the people we are, the people we could be and the people we once were. It is also a story of how all these people within us can all exist at different times in our lives and merge into other times of our lives as well. It’s a remarkable cinematic achievement that is among one of the best films of the decade thus far. Greta Lee is certainly deserving of a Best Actress nomination as John Magaro is a strong candidate for Best Supporting Actor. Past Lives is a truly moving story. When the lights come up, audiences will, without a doubt, be greatly affected by the resolution of this wonderful movie. It’s one of the year’s best films.

Rating: 10/10

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