Ryan Conde’s review published on Letterboxd:
With its stellar acting, amazing directing, and phenomenal screenplay, Past Lives is already a big contender for one of the best films of the year. I'm not usually a big fan of romance films, but this one really is great in that it is not your typical romance film. To put it simply, Past Lives is one of the most brutally realistic films you will ever see. Instead of relying on conventional wisdom or the same tropes you see in romances, the film doesn't shy away from the realism that comes with a situation where the two people who are in love reunite with each other after being estranged for so many years. From frame one, you can already tell this is a very personal story for director Celine Song and she handles the film with so much passion and you can sense that from so many different aspects of it. Between the phenomenally written screenplay that feels so genuine and realistic especially in the dialogue, the amazing filmmaking with some stellar cinematography and editing, and the fantastic performances from a limited cast of actors, you sense the passion to tell a deeply personal story thanks to all of these incredible aspects. Nothing about it feels conventional and because of that, it only makes the story all the more engaging, the characters all the more interesting, and the resolution of it all the more emotionally devastating. I already knew going in that this was a drama, but the film still manages to pack a big punch with some seriously heartbreaking moments that even if you're not crying at, still work incredibly well. I should also mention that another reason why the film works so well is because of both Greta Lee and Teo Yoo who play the film's two main characters. Both of them are just phenomenal here and convey every single emotion that they need to with their characters, while still having plenty of moments where you can still get so much out of them without a single line of dialogue. After a while, it feels like you're not even watching a movie anymore, but just two real-life people dealing with their complex relationship and own lives. Again, they are one of many reasons why this film is so good. If there are any problems with this movie, it would be that there were a few times where the pacing did kind of lose me. Not that it's bad, but considering how slow-paced this film is, some scenes can feel a bit too long. Maybe it's because I watched this movie really early in the morning and I was a bit tired going into it, but there were points where I was feeling the length of a few scenes that are otherwise amazing. Overall, thanks to so many different aspects and telling a deeply personal but interesting romance story that isn't afraid to be realistic and authentic in its approach, Past Lives already marks as a fantastic directorial debut from Celine Song. I sincerely hope she gets more work in the future because I already see a bright future for her as a director. If this film is playing anywhere near you, absolutely go out and see it. Films like this deserve way more attention and with how much buzz and love it has been getting lately, I guess it shows that it has left a big emotional impact on the people who have seen it. Even if it might not have made me cry, it is definitely a film that I won't forget and hopefully more people will continue to discover it in the future.
