Review of Past Lives

Past Lives is what you call a "vibey" movie. It's a very understated romantic drama, perhaps even too understated. It has a certain quietness to it that's much more common in Asian films than it is in American ones. Much like its characters, it definitely holds on to its Korean roots. It follows two childhood friends, Nora, who moves to New York to become an author, and Hae Sung, as they reconnect years later. The lead performance by Greta Lee is quite good, especially given how toned down the whole movie is.

The story is a romance that's not particularly romantic. In a strange way, it's a romance devoid of love. That isn't necessarily a knock against it, more a comment on how it is. It's quite a lonely film. It's a quiet longing, a mellow nostalgia. These are backed by the score and cinematography, two of the film's finer aspects. Many of the shots are screensaver material, and the score adds to the intimacy. Each interior scene is intimate and familiar. It is lonely, but yet comfy. While this is mostly handled well, it does sometimes veer toward feeling rather mundane. Another drawback is that it's so minimalistic that it doesn't offer much room for the characters to fully develop, and they can be seen more as ideas or representations of ideas than fully developed people. It's a solid film. Especially impressive given it is the directorial debut of writer/director Celine Song.