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Post by pacinoyes on May 15, 2023 8:19:09 GMT
Noticeably well directed, acted - by Teo Yoo, and even more so by both John Magaro and the terrific, beguiling Greta Lee - well-paced, strikingly shot, edited, scored..........and especially well written by writer / director Celine Song in her meticulously put together debut.
Written better than it even needs to be (when do I ever say that!) - with an economy of its aesthetic visual style: edited in a seamless and unobtrusive way - it sort of mesmerizes and plays on your memory and your memories as it unfolds. This movie has some unforgettable shots - rare in this genre - and some great lines too - that do not sound like lines you've heard already.
There's maybe some "wait, how old are they here?" moments that are a little jarring - but maybe not - I mean in movies that use this "passage of time" device that always comes up .....and so much else goes right.
Past Lives is exceedingly careful to eliminate any extraneous dialog - as much as possible anyway - although at first - maybe for almost an hour - you may doubt that. But it gets better and more cinematic as it goes along. The ending - the last half hour or so is kind of perfect - and sneakily kind of creeps up on you with a power you don't see coming which is you know ........like Life........... It also has the unexpectedness of Life within it too - scenes you don't expect to see and that work - and cliched scenes you do expect to see - and fail - that are not here.
Very few movies pull off the trick this movie does - neither confirming things you already feel or challenging those things to persuade you to its POV - it rather puts you in the place of the story and makes you question things that have happened to you ..........or may still happen to you........it makes you think about what things mean.
In English and Korean - which also places us within the story by itself - because you also are kind of caught in between two languages too, two worlds, two selves, between words and feeling, belonging and being outside of belonging........just like Lee's character ......
~ 8 / 10
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Post by countjohn on Jun 3, 2023 19:35:18 GMT
Saw this last night at one of the two screens where it was showing in New York. Went to the Angelika Film Center instead of the big AMC on Broadway because they have a cafe and got a great piece of cheesecake first and then smelled the organic popcorn or whatever they have and got it even though this is not a movie to eat popcorn to.
Anyway, as I've said about a few of the Oscar movies in recent years this is one of those movies where I can list all the good things about it but it feels like the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Ultimately I think it's underwritten, in particular the first act of establishing the relationships is really bad and didn't get me invested. When they're kids he just simps after her and she doesn't seem interested, they reconnect online later and have a couple awkward skype conversations, then she blows him off and marries another guy, but then when he reemerges we're supposed to believe he's "the one that got away" or whatever even though the movie never established that. It does start to get better at that point, their "date" walking around the city is the best part, they have strong chemistry when they actually get to be on screen together and the cinematography in that bit is gorgeous, lots of long tracking shots of New York at night.
This had such a good trailer too that I don't think it did it any favors because it was hard to live up to. When I saw the trailer I was wondering who I'd be rooting for but in the movie I just didn't care because none of these guys are that interesting and the outcome was never in doubt to me. Despite what I said above it's also not as visually interesting as I was hoping, the trailer made it look like one of those gorgeous "late night in the city" movies like Lost in Translation. It never really approached that level outside a couple scenes and was pretty visually standard.
I'm being critical here because my expectations were pretty high, I liked this a bit more than it sounds like. Lee's acting was technically terrific even if the part is a bit underwritten, I could see her slipping into my BA lineup. I do see this coming into the back of my top ten at the end of the year just because it's a solid adult drama and there hasn't been a really deep year since like 2015 where I could make a top ten where I felt really good about all the movies.
As for the Oscars, this is exactly the kind of thing they eat up these days so BP/Actress/Screenplay/Cinematography seem like sure things for nods and maybe director and supporting actor for Yoo (the better of the male performances) as coattail nods if they especially like it. I do think the early release date could be a problem in terms of winning, this isn't going to have the popular success that something like EEAAO did to drive it to the win and it's such a slow burn I'm not sure how much I'm going to remember about it next week much less next February. I hated EEAAO but even I have to admit it's certainly memorable.
Anyway, 7/10 for this like I said a solid adult drama which is rare these days but a bit of a disappointment considering I thought it could be the movie of the year and possibly an all timer.
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Post by mikediastavrone96 on Jun 24, 2023 2:28:28 GMT
it feels like the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Ultimately I think it's underwritten, in particular the first act of establishing the relationships is really bad and didn't get me invested. When they're kids he just simps after her and she doesn't seem interested, they reconnect online later and have a couple awkward skype conversations, then she blows him off and marries another guy, but then when he reemerges we're supposed to believe he's "the one that got away" or whatever even though the movie never established that. I think kid her talking about how she's going to marry him and she wants to go on a date with him are pretty solid indicators she was interested in him.
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Post by mikediastavrone96 on Jun 24, 2023 4:04:57 GMT
Can't believe for the second straight year an A24 film about Asians considering the other lives they could've lived is my favorite movie of the year.
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Post by Ryan_MYeah on Jun 26, 2023 4:46:44 GMT
I need to go cry.
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Post by Pittsnogle_Goggins on Jun 27, 2023 12:36:04 GMT
Very lovely film. Wonderfully shot and acted. Didn’t have quite the emotional gut punch I was expecting, but it still resonated. Very thought provoking and affecting. Certainly relatable for anyone to reflect on their own lives and the various what-ifs throughout it.
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Post by pacinoyes on Jun 27, 2023 19:27:36 GMT
Past Lives has "a thing" in it that I'm a sucker for in movies - and that I didn't mention in the OP: At the end she asks him "Will it be long?" - that wait for his Uber ; he says "2 minutes" iirc .........and then you sit there and wait while they stand there and wait ..........in silence...........and you REALLY feel that 2 minutes (or whatever it really is) Something like that is in many of my favorite movies - Stewart following Novak in his car .........Jake Gittes searching the office for a loooooooooooooooong time and finding, at that time it appears anyway "nothing" ......... That scene does not have to be staged that way and it's kind of brilliant that it is......
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Post by Viced on Jul 4, 2023 15:24:46 GMT
This is one of the most achingly true to life films in recent years. Everything in it feels so real that it somehow makes you consider things from your own life that you hadn't even considered thinking about in years. And that ending is an absolute knockout.
But I do think that the script was very slightly undercooked. For it being the first film from a playwright, I was surprised that it's much more of a director's showcase. Though maybe that sparseness is part of the reason why the film overall has such a strong impact...
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Post by ireallyamsomething on Jul 10, 2023 22:26:33 GMT
After what felt like quite a while - finally a new release which made me at least consider that it may be Capital G Great.
Roger Ebert used to say that what moved him most in movies was not sadness but goodness. This is key here - all three primary characters (feels cheap to call it a 'love triangle') are essentially good, there are no manufactured conflicts or obstacles, no one is seen as the other man or woman (feels cheap to even call it a 'love triangle'). At certain moments I even thought the most unique connection was the one between the husband and the childhood sweetheart; wouldn't have minded much if the movie ended with them pondering about their equation. Though the ending it did have was beautifully complex, generous, tender and honest - one which I'll have to mull on further - but it made me feel the weight of emotional upheaval that the woman (who was seemingly well adjusted or satisfied) had carried beneath the surface.
After a point I felt like the film was kind of novelistic (or perhaps more like a novella) in its approach or mood. But as it progressed into the second half, the way certain scenes were composed made me think that, no, this utilizes unique things that only cinema can do.
I guess it especially resonated as it dealt with one of my obsessions - the maddening randomness of human connection. It does a wonderful balancing act of acknowledging the impossibly painful & complicated nature of What Ifs while finding a sort of acceptance in incompleteness.
One more thing it beautifully captures is the bittersweet feeling of both growing out of and quietly grieving for one's own past self, their ideals and dreams. And how, when you look back, it almost feels like you're remembering another person, from another life.
When a film talks about Big Abstract Things like Destiny and Soulmates - there may be a tendency to either be too airy-fairy (I'll admit at times the sentimental side of me can fall for it) or too prosaic and cynical.
Past Lives pulls off a remarkable balancing act with honesty.
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Post by Pavan on Jul 11, 2023 17:19:17 GMT
Don't think the film fully won me over, but the last 20 odd min is powerful and so well written and performed that i left the cinemas satisfied and a little touched- 7/10
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Post by TylerDeneuve on Jul 12, 2023 15:21:02 GMT
That has got to be one of the most brilliant film openings, ever.
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Barbie
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Post by Barbie on Jul 13, 2023 6:49:07 GMT
Watched it tonight and I enjoyed it
I echo the sentiment that it’s underwritten, but the actors did a really good job
The ending made me cry. It wasn’t sad or happy. It was emotional. It was honest. Greta Lee’s acting in that scene was so good. You don’t really see her face, just her profile, and then you hear the sound of her cry, it hits you
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Barbie
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Post by Barbie on Jul 13, 2023 7:18:52 GMT
Roger Ebert used to say that what moved him most in movies was not sadness but goodness. This is key here - all three primary characters (feels cheap to call it a 'love triangle') are essentially good, there are no manufactured conflicts or obstacles, no one is seen as the other man or woman (feels cheap to even call it a 'love triangle'). This is a really good point. I really like that about the movie the more I think about it. It kinda subverts expectations. Many might go into the movie expecting screaming matches and jealousy, but none of that happened
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forksforest
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Post by forksforest on Jul 13, 2023 23:25:51 GMT
That has got to be one of the most brilliant film openings, ever. Right?! I almost feel like the rest of the movie didn’t live up to it’s incredible opening lol, I loved it. I wonder if she started with that concept or came to it while filming a particular scene. Loved the thought. I enjoyed Past Lives. I don’t think I was blown away by it, I’d give it a 8.5/10. It was unpolished, very much a debut, and a solid effort, but so very raw and heartfelt, with earnest emotions displayed by all 3 of the main characters so I can’t say it wasn’t moving in what it set out to do.
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Post by Allenism on Jul 14, 2023 23:53:47 GMT
Co-signing a lot of what other people are saying: Underwritten and somewhat underdeveloped, but the specificity of mood and tone that Song captures is really what carries the film and ultimately lifts it to another level. Lee is damn good in the lead, but it’s really Yoo who gives the film most of its emotional force. The final half hour is an unassuming crusher, and cements the film’s status as one of the heavy hitters of 2023 IMO.
8.5/10.
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Post by stephen on Sept 13, 2023 13:31:32 GMT
It occurred to me that I never expressed my feelings on this lovely little movie. It's sweet, feather-light yet confident in its direction and vibe. You'd have thought Celine Song had directed dozens of movies with the assurance that this movie has in itself. Greta Lee holds her own magnificently, and there are times I feel like I'm watching a documentary on a real woman's life.
With that said, I don't know if I see what everyone else does in John Magaro's performance. He's good but the exhaustive praise I've seen for him here and elsewhere are a wee bit baffling. I also liked Teo Yoo but I feel like the movie is so thoroughly dominated by Lee that everyone else feels like an also-ran.
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Post by DanQuixote on Sept 13, 2023 23:07:28 GMT
Finally saw this last night. Took me a bit to warm up to it as I didn’t really care about the whole long distance sequence which just ended awkwardly in my opinion. However, I started to really like it when it switched to the modern day. It starts firing on all cylinders from the bar scene onwards.
Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro are all great. Lovely score too.
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Post by mhynson27 on Sept 14, 2023 0:12:40 GMT
I agree that the second half is better than the first.
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Javi
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Post by Javi on Sept 16, 2023 19:48:13 GMT
Beautifully shot and conceived - a 2023 movie that looks great and makes its New York setting seem fresh. (Celine Song and her cinematographer Shabier Kirchner are very much inspired). To me, this turns less interesting whenever it veers into American indie territory - the English dialogue is generally painful, especially a long, long back and forth between Lee and Magaro that does a lot of damage to the film. Magaro in general is given a hopeless, thankless character, and his self-pity and self-doubt seem entirely justified. (It seems a cosmic mistake that he ends up with Nora, though I'm sure this isn't what Song intends). That said, the movie is an honest piece of work that sticks to its sad truths, though all this quietude and muted lyricism can be a little wearying too - makes me appreciate the saturated romanticism of, say, In the Mood for Love, a lot more. I guess it's a compliment to the movie that it made me think of the Wong in the first place, though this is the anti-Wong in a way.
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Post by countjohn on Sept 17, 2023 4:48:01 GMT
- makes me appreciate the saturated romanticism of, say, In the Mood for Love, a lot more. I guess it's a compliment to the movie that it made me think of the Wong in the first place, though this is the anti-Wong in a way. Wong underwrites too, but in his case it's more in that Hemingwayesque iceberg principle way where you can fill in the blanks in your head through subtext, here it just felt to me like I didn't really know any of the characters in the movie at all at the end.
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Post by pacinoyes on Oct 15, 2023 9:02:32 GMT
pacinoyes thinks since The Witch anyway - so in the MAR era (yeah I saw Aftersun, thanks4checkng) but Del Toro probably doesn't know what the MAR era is ......still my #1 of this year with all the biggies pending to be seen .....just sayin.....hope it overperforms at the Big Dumb Snoozefest this year ..... Dan Marcus @danimalish I saw PAST LIVES for a second time last night. It solidified the film as one of my absolute favorites of the year. Guillermo del Toro introduced the film, calling it the best feature debut he’s seen in the last twenty years. I agree with him.
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Post by stabcaesar on Dec 10, 2023 19:20:28 GMT
I thought this was completely glorious. Glorious cinematography, glorious score, glorious silences, glorious characters, glorious cast.
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Feesy
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Post by Feesy on Feb 25, 2024 21:39:24 GMT
I tend to stay away from using the term “masterpiece” when it comes to describing things like movies, music, wrestling matches, etc. But sometimes, you just can’t deny the greatness of something.
Just finished watching the film Past Lives and it’s a stunner. You can admire things like craft, the performances, the story but there’s not a lot better than when a movie makes you feel. Happiness. Regret. Reflection. Jealousy. That’s the best way I can describe Past Lives. To me, it is a masterpiece.
I had no idea that this was released so long ago, I'm only just now got to it. I had no idea what to expect. Haven't felt this way after watching a movie in a really, really long time.
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