Past Lives for Movie of The Year

You know when you know exactly what’s going to happen in a movie from the start? But because it’s exactly what should happen and it’s perfect and flawless. This movie is the most gorgeously shot thing I have ever seen. All of the shots pointed to what was going to happen which is why I knew from the start they wouldn’t end up together. I knew from the scene where she was leaving him and she was going up the stairs and he was going straight. A piece of her stayed in Korea, but her dreams are too big to contained in such a small country. Her bond with Hae Sung was so special, and I appreciated the choice of not putting subtitles on all of the dialogue to show how that piece of her cannot be accessed otherwise— telling us what her husband put into words so eloquently before he even came into the picture.

Their chemistry was ridiculous, the tension was palpable when they were standing across from each other, neither of them moving closer but they felt like magnets. The ending scene was so incredibly sad, her walking away sobbing into her husbands arms. It seems that Hae Sung and her were truly in love, but he represents where she came from and who she is at heart while her husband represents moving forward, which she was always destined to do and what is most important to her. He is congruent with who she wants to be. Even so, watching her mourn the loss of another version of herself in the form of her relationship with Hae Sung is heartbreaking.

Watching the movie I briefly entertained the obvious questions— are her and Hae Sung meant to be? Would she have been happy leaving her life behind to be with him? Would he have been happy doing the same for her? Would she be happy if he gave up his life to come to New York to be with her? And just as Nora would probably agree, I don’t know. Love versus internal ambition and goals. I think the answer depends on the person, and based on what we learn about Nora, she is going to choose her dreams. And Hae Sung, knowing her so well, understand that she is going to do that and let’s her go. The music was also so, so incredible. This is one of the best scores I’ve ever heard. This movie was flawless and just so significant and beautiful. 

Additionally, HE WAS SOOOOOO FINE (I had to say it…). Absolutely my movie of the year.