Past Lives (2023)

It's almost unbelievable to think that this is Celine Song's debut film such is the craftsmanship and beauty of Past Lives; a piece that deals with friendship, love and loss across twenty four years and beautifully compacts it into ninety odd minutes. Beginning with a scene in which an off screen couple debate the scene in front of them; a Korean man and woman in deep conversation whilst an American sits beside them nursing a drink, Past Lives then shifts to twenty four years earlier.

Nora and Hae Sung are two deeply connected childhood friends of the same age who grew up together in Seoul, until one day Nora's family immigrate to Toronto, a move that leaves twelve year old Hae Sung confused and upset. Nora's twelve year old self tells her Mother early on that she will "probably marry him" when asked about Hae Sung, and it's obvious how close the two of them are, shown in a gorgeous sequence early on of the two of them playing amongst statues.

The pair reconnect twelve years later through Facebook, with Nora now living in New York as an aspiring playwright, and Hae Sung having just completed military service and now studying engineering, with an upcoming year in China planned for a language exchange.

Nora (a brilliant Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (an equally superb Teo Yoo) pick up where they left off and continue to Skype everyday, to the point where Nora decides to bring a halt to proceedings; it's clear how much the couple care for each other and her reasoning that there's no opportunity in the near future for either of them to visit the other proves the relationship, despite being at such a distance, is hugely meaningful and needs to either bravely take a step forward, or sever ties to avoid blind hope.

They opt for the latter with Hae Sung about to travel to China and Nora due to attend a writers retreat, which is where the film moves next, with Nora meeting Arthur (an American Jew) and describing to him one evening the Korean concept of in-yeon; if you meet someone, however briefly, it means you also met in a past life, and lovers are people who have met over and over in their past lives.

Fast forward another twelve years and Nora and Arthur are married and living together in a small apartment in New York, awaiting a visit from Hae Sung which will be the first time him and Nora have seen each other since they were twelve.

Past Lives is sumptuously shot, every scene is pregnant with emotion that's bursting to be released, and the quality of the acting forces you to become embroiled in the missed chances and separations by fate. It's a tale of yearning and acceptance, longing and forced realisation; combining the chance of Linklater's Before Trilogy (1995-2013) and the aching wistfulness of Kong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love (2000), leaving you in bits by the end of it even if you own a piece of coal where your heart should be.

In one fell swoop Celine Song has achieved near mastery, and combined with a magnificent and poignant score by Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen, means Past Lives should enter a panegyric of debut films. 8.5/10