This film was celebrated at festivals and received euphoric reviews. But the emotional Past Lives passed the masses by. If you want to see one of the best films of the year, you can get it for your home theater
What happens when two friends, separated by life, meet again after two decades? What if? Director Celina Song tackles this question in Past Lives. With great sensitivity, she tells a story that touches audiences deeply but has received far too little attention from the masses.
If you missed the American-Korean drama, you can now order Past Lives for your home theater. The disks will be delivered from November 16th
In addition to the Blu-ray version, Past Lives will also be released on DVD and is currently also available to stream on Amazon Prime. When streaming, however, you have to do without the bonus material. This contains audio commentaries with Celine Song, Greta Lee and Teo Yoo, as well as background information on Past Lives in Bound by Fate. The home cinema versions contain cut scenes and the movie trailer
Past Lives: The acclaimed film debut of a young female director
Past Lives celebrated its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2023. One month later, the film was also shown in Germany at the Berlinale, where it was nominated for a Golden Bear. So it was a complete success for 35-year-old director and screenwriter Celine Song, who made her film debut with Past Lives.
The fact that Past Lives is told so emotionally and authentically is perhaps also due to the fact that the narrative is colored by Song’s own biography. According to journalist Benjamin Lee, Song’s inexperience is not apparent in the film, as he writes in his review in The Guardian:
As a writer, Song manages to keep her dialog believably light-footed and economical, while as a director she captures both cities confidently and impressively, […]. It’s a beautiful, moving movie, but one that has both feet on the ground.
Past Lives could be headed for Oscar nominations
There is already speculation as to whether Past Lives will receive an Oscar nomination or two. Celina Song, however, doesn’t want to hear about it for the time being and says she is already extremely grateful that her personal story has reached so many people around the world. It makes her feel less alone, she says.
Past Lives – In Another Life on Blu-ray
This is what Past Lives is about
Nora (Greta Lee) spends her childhood with Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) in Seoul, but the inseparable friends are torn apart when Nora’s parents emigrate to Toronto. Twenty years later, Nora lives with her husband Arthur (John Magaro) in New York, where she unexpectedly meets Hae Sung, who wants to visit his childhood friend. Although Nora is happily married, the deep connection returns and she is confronted with questions of love and destiny.
