Past Lives (2023)

[4everchan]

Title: Past Lives

Genre: Drama,Romance

Director: Celine Song

Cast: Greta Lee,Teo Yoo,John Magaro,Moon Seung-ah,Yim Seung-min,Yoon Ji-hye,Choi Won-young,An Min-young,Seo Yeon-woo,Chang Ki-ha,Shin Hee-cheol,Park Jun-hyuk,Jack Alberts,Jane Yubin Kim,Song Noo-ri,Jin Si-ah,Choi Yoon-seo,Hwang Seung-eon,Jojo T. Gibbs,Emily Cass McDonnell,Federico Rodriguez,Conrad Schott,Kristen Sieh,Oge Agulué,Chase Sui Wonders,Isaac Powell,Jay Karales

Status: Released

Release: Jun 2, 2023

Runtime: 106

Plot: Nora and Hae Sung, two childhood friends, are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life.

 

[4everchan]

I loved this movie. Have you seen it ?

@Ichatdelune ?

Do you believe in the concept of In-Yun ?

 

[Ichatdelune]

I loved this movie. Have you seen it ?

@Ichatdelune ?

Do you believe in the concept of In-Yun ?

1) Not yet, I'll check it out
2) 인연 (inyun) is a really broad concept, not really fate but an engagement of sorts. It's too big a thing to disbelieve, if you ask me

 

[CoyoteChris]

I havent had the courage to see this movie yet as there is someone in my wife's past 40 years ago, Who she still sporatically communicates with, but after reading a whole bunch about what Song has to say about what the movie is really about (A Korean lady saying goodbye to her Korean past and heading into the future) I think I could see it now. (She also says if people want to make it out to be a romance lost perhaps to be found in another life, that is OK but that is not what it is about....I have not heard yet Song's explaination from her own lips on why the leading lady is crying as she walks into the arms of her husband. But fans are still arguing about it on the web. Song mearly says she is walking away from her past, leaving in the car, and into the future to her husband. At any rate, the movie looks to be excellent.... Yes, Ichatdelune's take would be excellent.

 

[4everchan]

We all have our own perceptions about the movie. You should just watch it. I didn't over-analyze the ending scene. Emotions could be about more than one thing and most likely a mixture of things. However, I don't see the husband as the future : simply the current life. She revisited her past, but the future is most likely in another life

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Thanks for posting about this film @4everchan, I really want to see it now.

 

[4everchan]

Thanks for posting about this film @4everchan, I really want to see it now.

have you seen it now ?

What about our In-Yun ?

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

have you seen it now ?

What about our In-Yun ?

With work and everything I've been swamped and haven't had a chance to myself to sit down and watch, but will soon now that the season has wound down (for a bit lol).

 

[CoyoteChris]

We all have our own perceptions about the movie. You should just watch it. I didn't over-analyze the ending scene. Emotions could be about more than one thing and most likely a mixture of things. However, I don't see the husband as the future : simply the current life. She revisited her past, but the future is most likely in another life

Just saw it on my cruise ship. Reading the directors extensive comments as well as as fans' opinions was interesting. But I think Ichat's cultural input would be inportant. I am a hard sell on movies, but this one was interesting in many ways. From a western perspective, I agree with many fans that Nora isn't very likable in the way she emotionally jerks around both guys and seems clueless as to H's feelings and A's as well. Does she even once tell H how much she loves A or show physical affection to A in front of H? No. It looks like she is stringing H along. Does she even once hold A and tell him how much she loves him and how much living her life with him means to her and how she will tell H that in no uncertain terms? Her comment, "This is where I should be" is pretty weak. The last scene is pivotal in tbe mind of the director. Nora is walking away from her Korean past finally and into the arms of her western present. IMHO any of us would embrace our spouse who is carressing our head, etc. But she just lets her arms hang? Everyone seems to agree body language is critical in this movie. Would love to talk with the director.

 

[4everchan]

Just saw it on my cruise ship. Reading the directors extensive comments as well as as fans' opinions was interesting. But I think Ichat's cultural input would be inportant. I am a hard sell on movies, but this one was interesting in many ways. From a western perspective, I agree with many fans that Nora isn't very likable in the way she emotionally jerks around both guys and seems clueless as to H's feelings and A's as well. Does she even once tell H how much she loves A or show physical affection to A in front of H? No. It looks like she is stringing H along. Does she even once hold A and tell him how much she loves him and how much living her life with him means to her and how she will tell H that in no uncertain terms? Her comment, "This is where I should be" is pretty weak. The last scene is pivotal in tbe mind of the director. Nora is walking away from her Korean past finally and into the arms of her western present. IMHO any of us would embrace our spouse who is carressing our head, etc. But she just lets her arms hang? Everyone seems to agree body language is critical in this movie. Would love to talk with the director.

I think when one's sadness is very intense, it's possible they don't want to embrace their spouse but just be comforted by them. Embracing him at that precise moment for me would be weird.

Regarding the unspoken words in the movie, I never sensed that Nora didn't love her hubby. Quite the contrary. Words were not necessary for me. I didn't find Nora unlikable at all.

I don't know... I focused more on the concept of past lives as a whole rather than on all the small details.

 

[CoyoteChris]

I think when one's sadness is very intense, it's possible they don't want to embrace their spouse but just be comforted by them. Embracing him at that precise moment for me would be weird.

Regarding the unspoken words in the movie, I never sensed that Nora didn't love her hubby. Quite the contrary. Words were not necessary for me. I didn't find Nora unlikable at all.

I don't know... I focused more on the concept of past lives as a whole rather than on all the small details.

Thanks for your input. For me, the cultural/religious concept was a minor thing, as it was for the director. I am sure for Nora it was hard to finally close the door on her Korean past and admit she was after all, after all those years, a Westerner. You do make a good point about Nora's arms. For me, when I have been under great stress and sadness, I have hugged back, but that's me. What makes this film interesting is the art of the director,who had to consider all of the points I mentioned, and chose all the body language to present her story in her way. This was also very apparent in the wonderful Bhutan film, "Yak in the classroom". It would be interesting to hear what Siskel and Ebert would have said. I miss their weekly show.

 

[CoyoteChris]

FWIW, I talked to a Korean lady who was a vendor at the EAA Oshkosh flyin about what? Korean history, figure skating, and this movie. In her opinion, she saw it as a love story between the two Koreans. While I would not diss the director, I feel this part of the movie was emphasised for marketing as I feel if it was edited to emphasise the transition of Nora from East to West, as the director says its about, if wouldnt have the box office appeal. (The lady in the booth was told that she should be prepared for the hot and humid midwest. She wore a coat. LOL!)