Extended Past Lives Review

 

I first watched Past Lives upon mass release in the summer of 2023 with my sister who's also an afflicted romantic and we got tickets to Joy Ride right after to make it an Asian double feature lmao. As the reviews have come in and my heart become stone I was afraid my original rating would not stand a rewatch. I kept it at arm's length in order to preserve my enjoyment. With distance I let myself appreciate Arthur more and the fight between fate and effort became more evident. With time I began to fantasize less about New York City and see it merely as a backdrop (even though throughout the film it is where so much action happens! No need to come back to Seoul. Why don't you come back to New York?!)

So yeah upon rewatch I cried a little though I think it's more because of the following months and what the soundtrack came to represent in those months. It colored lonely walks home, my exact feelings, and apprehension towards the future all at once. It replaced the Her (2013) soundtrack as my go-to lonesome walk soundtrack. I think I've been trying to let go since then, basically.

Things that retained those four stars: the dialogue (I am so vulnerable to being corny), the New York visuals, the acting (as seen through longing glances and comfortable silences), as well as the general idea that Nora and Arthur were well (enough) off as writers in NYC. I will say that by the end of it I commended Arthur's longstanding love for Nora but also felt something in my heart leap at the idea that this life was the 7,999th layer of in-yun that Nora and Hae-Sung needed to be together the next life. Surely it will come to pass, but only after she has found happiness in Arthur in this persistent life. Oh and I love the shot that creates the generic poster for this film: Nora and Hae-Sung reuniting in NYC for the first time in a while, and silence visualized in the space between them, as the cameras go from one party to another. And then them falling back into good rapport right after. With the right person, it's easy to fall right back in. 

What made it lose half of a star? I realized my rating was a product of the moment. Upon rewatch I realized I could go more or less for the story. I appreciated how simple it was: void of complex deception and touted in bad timing and yearning over 20 years, but yeah it didn't totally grab me. I was more or less enthralled by the idea and feelings I'd already assigned myself to the story more than anything else that was actually present.

I really felt for Hae-Sung. I'd do that for 20 years too, probably. And yeah it did way more than I'd expected it to after 9 months and a change of heart in some ways. Glad to have rewatched it, and I hope Celine Song is given proper applause and recognition next week.