Past Lives - Mini film review
In a palpable ‘what if’ atmosphere that blends the chapters of Song’s largely biographical divulgence, we are completely invested in each segment of Nora and Hae Sung’s decades-spanning journey.
The fact that this is Song’s directorial debut is nothing short of shocking. Each frame is concocted with a rich confidence and sophistication, propelling the story not only forward but inward, etching the imagery as well as the delicately crafted dialogue (or lack thereof) into a viewer’s deeply secluded intimacy. I dare anyone who truly surrenders themselves to this film not wonder about their own in-yun, their own version of a Nora or a Hae Sung and find themselves stunned at the vastness of a connection so profound that encapsulates one’s entire being without ever fully materializing.
Past Lives is one of those films that changes you slightly but poignantly, for life. Song’s layering of mastery is so slick and unpretentious, leaving the viewer with that residue of longing for another chance to spend some time in her world of mesmerizing land of ‘what is’ and ‘what could have been.’
