Past Lives: Celine Song’s Attempt at Modern Relationships

Kuo Yi Quan reflects on the A24-produced film Past Lives (2023) which explores the relationship of two separated childhood sweethearts who are reunited later in life.

Past Lives directed by Celine Song was hyped up among fans of the romance genre and A24 stans as THE flick of 2023. While it did present strong performances from the 3 leads and rather poignant reflections on identity and the one-that-got-away; personally, it did not deliver the heart-wrenching romance it promised.

Set over a breathtaking span of years and distances, Past Lives tells a story filled with what-ifs and nostalgia for a romance that almost, but never was. Nora (Greta Lee) navigates her feelings towards Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), her childhood sweetheart; while grappling with notions of 인연, anglicised as In Yun (Fate), and yearning for reconnection. In particular, the idea of In Yun as the powerful force connecting Nora and Hae Sung time and again was the highlight of the film, as displayed in its trailer. Nora’s musings on it throughout the years reflect her shifting attitudes toward her relationship with Hae Sung, from her initial longing for reconnection to her final, emotional farewell.

I enjoyed the fine balance struck between awkwardness and familiarity when Nora and Hae Sung reconnect, once over Skype twelve years after Nora’s family emigrates to Toronto, and again twelve years later in New York when Hae Sung visits Nora. “와” (wah) is really the only way to express the euphoric feeling of reconnecting with an old sweetheart. The awkwardness is shown through Hae Sung’s hyper-awareness of Nora’s marriage to Arthur and the use of lines visually separating Nora and Hae Sung as she brings him around New York. The juxtaposition between Nora’s easy familiarity and Hae Sung’s amazement at the sights of New York highlight the changes that have elapsed in their years apart. Amidst these changes and the bustle of the city that never sleeps, the tension and chemistry between them are quiet, yet palpable. Greta Lee and Teo Yoo give skillful, restrained performances befitting the characters’ subtle yearning for each other, which has been likened to Wong Kar Wai’s classic In The Mood for Love.

In Yun then turns out to be the very thing that separates them eventually, as Nora and Hae Sung converse about it at the bar. Hae Sung asks what they could have been in another life, highlighting the persistent sense of yearning for the connection between them. Then he comes to terms with the situation, saying, “But the truth I learned here is, you had to leave because you’re you. And the reason I liked you is because you’re you. And who you are is someone who leaves”, confirming that they were never meant to end up together. Personally, this was the emotional climax of the movie as Hae Sung, who is seemingly smitten with Nora throughout the whole 24 years of their relationship, finally acknowledges the impossibility of it. This moment was also somewhat sobering, as the main weakness of the film (to me) was verbalised by one of the characters on-screen.

Throughout the film, the portrayal of Nora and Hae Sung as individual characters comes off flat. Nora’s character vacillates between her ambition to make it big as a writer, and yearning for reconnection with Hae Sung. The almost-exaggerated polarity of her character makes her seem disingenuous, and it feels as if she neither likes Hae Sung, nor truly wants to reconnect with her Korean heritage; which seems to be the main reason why she continues to pursue a connection with him despite having moved on with her life. Hae Sung is similarly lacking in depth as he is depicted to only yearn for Nora, even after 24 years of being apart from her (and in another romantic relationship!). The lack of depth and, to an extent, sincerity in the characters made it difficult to immerse myself in their relationship completely. As a result, the (very beautiful) dialogue throughout the film comes off as corny and disjointed even as the ending strives to be realistic (and thus heartbreaking).

In contrast, Arthur’s character stood out to me, as both the writing and performance did justice to his role of Nora’s supportive husband while giving voice to his anxieties about their relationship in the face of the sudden return of her childhood sweetheart. “You dream in a language I can’t understand” encapsulates the pent-up frustration and helplessness at the unbridgeable divide between them. Within the few scenes focusing on his emotional conflict, the film presents a well-fleshed-out character supported by John Magaro’s wonderful performance.

Overall, while Past Lives gave great performances and very pretty, quotable lines, its portrayal of individual characters within the romance was not strong enough to support the premise of the film. Perhaps the takeaway here is that we should not be influenced by social media hype over new movie releases; and that we all need an Arthur in our lives, for when we meet a doomed relationship like Nora and Hae Sung’s.