“Past Lives” Explores “In-yun”— Providence or Fate: A Review by Ron Wells
June 30, 2023
Past Lives
For those not interested in blockbuster summer films, Past Lives is the best new film of the year and will certainly be recognized at the end of the year when awards season comes around. Past Lives, written and directed by Celine Song, is a deeply felt contemplation of love and the hold it has on people over a long period of time. The story begins with two former childhood friends in Korea, Nora (Greta Lee) and Teo Yoo (Hae Sung), and then moves on through the years as Nora continues on her quest of excellence as a writer in America even when she meets another writer, Arthur (John Magaro), while Teo Yoo becomes an engineer in Korea. (NOTE: Some spoilers in this review, though the ending is not revealed.)
There are no villains here. There are no quick jumps nor machinations to move viewers one way or another, though different time periods are represented. There are no easy answers. Song has even brought the Korean concept of In-yun— providence or fate—into the discussion and its possible ramifications on all three characters.
The cinematography and music are perfectly used in quiet and profound ways to emphasize the methods in which time and love move through the characters’ lives in beautifully thought out and executed ways. Director Song even displays the power of silence in two of the last scenes in the film, allowing the audience to enter the characters’ minds and provide their own analysis of what is happening based on all that has gone on previously. The silences, like the pictures themselves, are worth a thousand words.
All three actors beautifully portray the characters they are playing and the dialogue they are saying to bring even more philosophical depth to the film.
It is these characters who carry the film and with whom the audience will relate to and understand. Greta Lee is superb as the driving force behind the story, for it is she and her family who make the first move from one place to another. Yet Hae Sung is able to match her intensity of feeling, and John Magaro is not far behind as he maneuvers his way through Korean culture and the feelings he has for “Nora.” This is an ensemble cast that all deserve any accolades that may eventually come their way.
Some people may just see this film as a typical boy meets girl, boy losses girl, concept. If that is how one sees this, then so be it. But for many of us it goes much, much deeper than that.
For it is the very nature of love, friendship, and how all of this can change over time that makes Past Lives so much more than the usual love story. It is a profound meditation on the power of love to bind, and separate, people over time and distances.
This quiet film is the best of the year so far in every way imaginable.
When leaving the theater, one may eventually think about his or her own past life, and where that life stands today with regard to the loves one has experienced as time has moved on. That, in itself, is no small accomplishment for this wonderful film to achieve.
by Ron Wells
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