Past Lives

There’s nothing like going into a film with high expectations and having them effortlessly met. Past Lives is a subtle romantic drama that thrives on its simplicity, avoiding Hollywood's typical tricks and gimmicks to enhance an already captivating story. It simply and beautifully tells the tale of two people who found each other in childhood, only to be separated and have their shared happiness turn into longing. Their lives unfold and evolve in completely different environments on opposite sides of the globe. The narrative is natural, straightforward, and melancholic, free of embellishments, but filled with genuine emotions that had me in tears by the final moment. (07/03/2023)

This tender romantic drama tells the story of two people who are clearly meant for each other, but fate determines that their steps will not lead them to a life together. Spanning three decades with three major jumps in time, the narrative focuses only on a trio of characters who are united by the theme of fateful predestination and the millennial interconnection of their souls. The bittersweet, timeless story benefits from reminiscences of long-ago loves, painful relationship situations and well-cast actors who shine even without words. Though the beginning may seem somewhat rushed along with the characters’ entry into adulthood, the narrative comes together and focuses on what is essential. Sometimes strength and beauty really do lie in simplicity, especially when that simplicity consists in precise, economical directing and clever and mature dialogue. (07/03/2023)

Although the initial festival reviews overhyped Past Lives and the film does have a few deaf spots, it is a very well-written relationship drama that feels fresh and authentic. This is also due to the use of exteriors – it's been a long time since we've had a film that uses the scenery and landmarks of New York so well in its sober and romantic overtones. Is it that hard? [KVIFF 2023] (08/30/2023)

The film is excellently shot and I only have small objections to the individual durations of certain scenes. The main actors are also good and there is chemistry between them, but what brings the film down for me is that it is filmed too realistically. This is how the story would actually happen. It is so real. The problem is that this simply does not work on the movie screen. Unadorned reality is suitable for a documentary, not for a romantic drama that is also predictable from beginning to end and lacks any surprising moment, twist, or deviation. The film becomes very slow and boring after the halfway point because it follows its own tracks, very slow tracks with a lagging pace. (08/16/2023)

Watching Past Lives is like staying in a meticulously tidy, clinically clean apartment in which one never begins to feel at home. It’s a film that lets you know exactly where it wants to take you emotionally, and its strategy – from the music to the shooting – is so clear and seamless that I couldn’t get into the game that it plays. Part of the problem is that Celine Song leaves the most dramatically satisfying content until the last third, so everything that comes before it is just a neat overture. The improbable love triangle in Past Lives is thus rather more sweetly illustrative instead of cutting to the marrow. Sure, a New York romance with a Korean twist is appealing. I understand the hype, but this film fades away too quickly in this lifetime, let alone the past ones. Return to Seoul, which has a similar concept, appealed to me more. (07/03/2023)