Past Lives - Review

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

DISARMINGLY affecting, Celine Song's Past Lives is a bittersweet ode to childhood love that stays with you long after the final credits have rolled.

At the age of 12, Korean school kids Na-young (Seung Ah-moon) and Hae-sung (Seung Min-yim) became childhood sweethearts until the former emigrated to America and left the latter heartbroken.

Over the course of the next 20 years, the two sporadically reconnect - the humble Hae-sung (Teo Yoo) never able to let go of the romance that left such an indelible mark upon him.

Na-young (now played by Greta Lee) has followed her dreams and realised many of her ambitions in the years that followed, becoming a writer, and marrying Arthur, (John Magaro), a novelist.

But when Hae-sung eventually makes good on his promise to come and visit Na-young in New York, the two embark on a journey that questions the nature of their relationship and the possibility that they are more than friends, informed by possible past lives together.

Song's movie is quietly affecting and even haunting at times, dripping in a sorrow that stems from Hae-sung's unrequited love. It's also not afraid to ask big, philosophical questions, while remaining firmly rooted in a reality that captures every awkward moment between two people who share a deep connection despite the fact they have spent so much time apart.

The two share a beautifully restrained chemistry, conveying their emotions in often limited dialogue, yet saying so much with just a look, a smile or a tear.

The movie captures their sense of longing and regret, of untapped possibility, while adding an extra layer of complexity and humanity in the supporting performance of Arthur (Magaro), whose understanding and compassion is just as beautifully relayed.

Past Lives offers no easy answers or contrived endings. It stays true to its themes and feels completely authentic. As a result, it lives longer in the memory as a thoughtful rumination on the intricacies and complexities of love in both of its selfish and selfless ways. It quietly mesmerises, while leaving you emotionally blown away.