X
- 2023
- PG-13
- A24
- 1 h 45 m
- 2023
- PG-13
- A24
- 1 h 45 m
Summary Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny and love, and the choices that make a life.
Directed By: Celine Song
Written By: Celine Song
- 2023
- PG-13
- A24
- 1 h 45 m
- 2023
- PG-13
- A24
- 1 h 45 m
Past Lives
8.0
Where to Watch
Summary Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny and love, and the choices that make a life.
Directed By: Celine Song
Written By: Celine Song
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 52 Critic Reviews
94
98% Positive
51 Reviews
51 Reviews
2% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 52 Critic Reviews
94
98% Positive
51 Reviews
51 Reviews
2% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
It’s not all wide-eyed insight and romantic misery though. Past Lives is also very, very funny.
Emotionally engaging from the start, bolstered by brilliant performances and held together by Song’s understated direction that weaves timelines together flawlessly, it’s more than just good.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 215 User Ratings
8.0
81% Positive
174 Ratings
174 Ratings
13% Mixed
29 Ratings
29 Ratings
6% Negative
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 215 User Ratings
8.0
81% Positive
174 Ratings
174 Ratings
13% Mixed
29 Ratings
29 Ratings
6% Negative
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
Don't listen to the kids talking about something they don't know.
An american A24 very adult romance and drama movie that gets in you little by little, slow burning with a gentle flame and involves more than just love, but personal choices and fate too.Compared to a lot of romances this one is very real, and tells the story of two korean child, that lives closely together in their 12yo in sort of a "proto-date" till she emigrate to Canada and then US, already searching better changes at what she planned to do as a job (writing).Jump 12 years later accidentally she discovers that he was looking for her, and they start to chat online together, and the old fire starts to ignite again... till the day she says with a broken heart that because neither of them can see each other too soon and because she need to focus on her work they should to stop talking for a while.A while that passes in another 12 years and she gets on her life in America even marrying another writer aspirant while he gets a girlfriend. Then he decides to come visit her in NYC (that's shown in the very start (2min) of the movie, watch closely for the details in expressions that this tells so much) .A great strat for Celine Song at her debut on the big screen (as director and screenplay) and great performance of Greta **** 9.5 out of 10.0 / A+ for me - most real than 80% of the ommances that you see around. Got a nomination for Academy on original screenplay and best Movie but should get more categories imo.
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I saw it for the first time six months ago and it has not left my brain since. My absolute favorite film of 2023. I cannot recommend it enough!!
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Song has crafted a deliriously honest romantic drama that is utterly singular even while it calls to mind everything from Richard Linklater to Wong Kar-wai to David Lean’s Brief Encounter. This is a movie that flows over with patience, forgiveness, and tender wisdom — qualities all the more wondrous for their relative absence from modern society and its movies.
Past Lives is not concerned with regret. It is instead a thoughtful, humane rumination on what may be fixed in personal history but remains forever fluid in the mind.
This is at once the loftiest and the most grounded love story I’ve seen in some time, a movie that feels lingering and contemplative in the moment but is over as quickly (too quickly) as a drink with a long-absent friend.
The thorny nuances of multiethnic relationships are deeply understood by Celine Song’s directorial debut, Past Lives.
There’s a disconcerting shrewdness underneath its patina of tastefulness — it’s too calculating to achieve the transcendent almost-romance it strives for but never inhabits.
NO QUIERO CONOCER OTROS IN-YEONS, ACABO ROTO EMOCIONALMENTE
No tengo días malos, tampoco buenos, más bien vacíos, de interrogantes inmortales, de malestares, por no saber mi destino, tampoco quiero saberlo. Saberlo podría ser peor. Odio la vívidez, también la oscuridad, pero no le veo el sentido a un gris. Elijo caminos correctos. Otros erróneos. Ninguno me hace feliz, porque jamás sabré del que no escogí. No sé si tengo otras vidas, con diferentes sucesos. Me duele no saberlo, también saberlo. Pasan tantas personas alrededor mía que odio no poder darles mi existencia, pero a veces deseo vivir en una cueva. Todo es confuso, doloroso, agonizante, lagrimoso, alegre pero melancólico, y sobre todo, inevitable y obsesivo compulsivo. Luego todo resulta ser nostálgico y desgarrador.Eran amigos de la infancia, iban al cole, se empezaron a gustar. Y sus mamis los llevaron a un parquecito para que tuvieran su “cita”. Pero, pocos días después, Nora se mudaría. No sabrían nada el uno del otro durante largos años. Un poco más de una década después se reencuentran virtualmente, en plan broma según ella, él seriamente. Vuelven a dejar de hablar porqué están enamorados el uno del otro por 7 años. Nora se casa, Hae Sung se separa. Y por fin, va a Nueva York para visitarla y conoce al marido. Ahora ocurre todo. Llevad pañuelos, bueno yo los necesito desde el principio.Lloraba mucho de pequeña, de joven también lo haría y cuando se mudó a Nueva York dejó de hacerlo porque según ella ya no era rentable viviendo dónde vivía. Hae Sung, sin embargo, no lloraría mucho, nada creo, pero sí la echaba de menos, tanto que la buscaba desesperadamente en facebook. Adentrándonos en la historia, Nora solo le envió a Hae Sung un e-mail cuando después de 20 años regresa por un viajecito a Corea, su país, el de Hae Sung también, no hubo respuesta de él. No digo que ella sea la mala, pero tenemos muchos rincones para cavar sobre sus definitivas verdades, las cuáles nunca sabremos, aún así la historia sigue siendo preciosa. El marido, ese gran pilar entre los dos coreanos en realidad. Me ocurren emociones inesperadas por él, puedo entenderle, aunque estoy harto de verle llorar por dentro mientras yo lo hago por fuera. No entiende casi el coreano, y por eso no puede saber lo que ella sueña, porque siempre sueña hablando en Coreano. Creo que apenas la conoce, y no es por culpa de él. Pero sabe que ella de verdad lo quiere. Celine Song debuta creando una historia no exageradamente compleja pero desgarradora, la cual me va a costar superar emocionalmente, cualificada para los Oscars. Contando una historia de amor de dos coreanos, junto al marido de ella. Tres personajes que siento dentro de mí. Que me acompañarán, pero sobre todo, en mis momentos más oscuros. No puede faltar nada, y por eso su guión y fotografía son muy memorables. Lanza, en todos los sentidos, demasiada debilidad, melancolía, tristeza, nostalgia, y un amor que pudo ser y no fue. Celine Song me trae esta obra maestra en una época que quiero y a la vez no quiero conocer ni ver. Pero como digo, el vicio es malo y bueno, y me destroza por dentro pero no puedo parar de sentir eso, porque quizá sea mi destino. Y quizá, yo llore más que Nora. Porque mientras veo Vidas Pasadas y escribo sobre ella mis lágrimas no se acaban.
-RICHIE VALERO
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I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet over how highly rated this movie is... Especially with all these trailers depicting an insane connection that transcends years of separation. I found the chemistry to be very lacking and thus all the yearning a bit hard to connect with, personally. There were pockets of sweet/sentimental moments but all in all I found myself holding my breath for the movie to really start.
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The beginning is quite good and sweet. But the second half is as feministic and boring for men as many other US movies about love. Especially Arthur is so boring and beta. And Greta Lee is a bit ugly in my view.
There is one good thing, I remarked while watching: I like how honest the characters were about their feelings.
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The score and 3 lead performances were incredible and truly elevated a weak premise. Just about everything else was mid. The direction was plodding and aimless at times. The script was overly precious, cloying, and really struck me, someone whose family has also lived the Asian diaspora and left many beloved friends and family behind, as totally unrealistic. Imagine carrying the torch for 20 years for someone who clearly does not care about you the same way. It's a woman's power fantasy. The characters are lightly sketched and the viewer must fill in the blanks. Very weak script. I can't believe this was nominated for Best Picture AND Best Original Screenplay. What a joke.
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Generic, slow moving, zero stakes, and zero reason to care. As if your parents told you an inconsequential lengthy story about how they may have met, where the story is only interesting to those who lived it. The film is clearly and boringly autobiographical. No clue how this has been getting the accolades it has. Korea has a history of incredible romance films, such as Kim Ki Duk's wonderful "3-Iron" for example. This film, on the other hand, could have been a Lifetime TV movie. The only watchable elements of the film are the performances from Teo Sue, who is incredible, and John Magaro as the husband. The supporting roles deserved a much better film. On the other hand, Greta Lee gives an inauthentic performance and is the least interesting character in the film, playing as a generic caricature of other characters from much better romance films. Imagine if "When Harry Met Sally" was stripped of all its humor, substance, and authenticity. You would end up with this overhyped dud.
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Production Company
A24,
CJ ENM Co.,
Killer Films,
2AM
Release Date Jun 2, 2023
Duration 1 h 45 m
Rating PG-13
Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 5 Nominations
Academy Awards, USA
• 2 Nominations
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
• 1 Win & 8 Nominations
