Past Lives by Kayelle Solis

Main Character: Nora Moon

kaso5888 — 2024-02-09 16:59:56 UTC

Nora is a Korean woman who currently resides in New York with her husband.
She lived in South Korea until her family emigrated to Canada when she was 12 years old.
Her profession is a writer.

Main Character: Hae Sung

kaso5888 — 2024-02-09 17:09:28 UTC

Hae Sung is the childhood classmate and friend of Nora.
He harbored a reciprocated crush on her when they were kids.
Nora broke ties with him after she left for Toronto.

Supporting Character: Arthur Zaturansky

kaso5888 — 2024-02-09 17:16:05 UTC

Arthur is the husband of Nora.
He is also a writer.
They first met at a writer's retreat in Montauk and began dating shortly after.

Seoul, South Korea

kaso5888 — 2024-02-09 17:26:30 UTC

The first part of the film takes place in Seoul, South Korea, in the year 2000.

New York City, United States

kaso5888 — 2024-02-09 17:29:15 UTC

In the present, Nora lives in New York City, U.S., where most of the film takes place.

Main Problem

kaso5888 — 2024-02-09 17:33:40 UTC

Nora struggles between her relationship with Arthur and her lost connection with Hae Sung. Arthur reveals his insecurities about their marriage that Nora cannot fully dispel. She also has to deal with the lingering feelings and complications that reemerge when she and Hae Sung meet up after decades of not seeing each other.

Important Events

kaso5888 — 2024-02-13 17:21:49 UTC

Nora and Hae Sung are classmates who harbor not-so-secret crushes on each other. Their moms set them up on a date, Hae Sung unaware that it would be their first and last. Nora's family flies to Toronto, and they cut ties.
12 years later, Nora reconnects with Hae Sung after searching for his name on Facebook. They begin video calling each other frequently, despite facing low internet connection and time difference issues.
One day, Nora video-calls Hae Sung to tell him that she needs a break, explaining that because of him she's been distracted with plans to travel to Seoul, instead of focusing on her life in New York. They stop talking. Hae Sung starts dating a girl he met during his stay in China and Nora gets together with Arthur, a fellow writer that she met at a retreat.
In the present, Hae Sung has temporarily split with his girlfriend, planning to go on a vacation to New York. Nora is now married to Arthur, however, she still accepts his invitation to meet up. They tour the city for a few days, and it becomes clear to Nora that Hae Sung flew to New York for her. Arthur expresses his insecurities about feeling like a hindrance between her and Hae Sung's perfect love story, contrasting their own as boring and overly practical. Nora reassures Arthur that she loves him.
On the night of Hae Sung's last day, the three of them-Nora, Arthur, and Hae Sung-go out to eat dinner. At first, Nora acts as a translator between Hae Sung and Arthur, but then the conversation shifts to being exclusively between her and the Korean man. After returning to the apartment, Nora waits with Hae Sung for his Uber, the two sharing prolonged looks at each other until the car arrives. They have their last exchange, and Nora watches Hae Sung leave with a smile on her face, only breaking down once she gets home and is embraced by Arthur.

Solution

kaso5888 — 2024-02-13 17:44:37 UTC

Nora and Hae Sung have a lengthy chat-a sort of closure-on the night that Hae Sung is supposed to leave. They confess all the 'what ifs' that have plagued their thoughts over the years, both of them accepting that they are not meant to be together in this life. With an aching finality, Nora takes Hae Sung to his Uber and watches him go, crying in Arthur's arms once she returns to her apartment.

Review

kaso5888 — 2024-02-14 07:01:09 UTC

This film is a thoughtful depiction of yearning, missed chances, and severed connections. It explores the what-ifs and the could've-beens of two people who were forced apart by circumstance. The beauty of this film lies in its moments of stillness, how instead of filling every space with dialogue after dialogue, it uses silence as a medium to convey the gravity of a character's emotions that words would never suffice in expressing. Another aspect I loved about it was how realistic the plot was. Many romance films tend to fulfill the typical fantasy of a happy ending, where against all odds, the lovers overcome all obstacles and end up together. I appreciate an ending where life just happens, as bittersweet as it is.