PAST LIVES

The plot of this exquisite film is so spare that even Wikipedia struggles to pad it out to five paragraphs.  Yet somehow it builds to as emotionally powerful an ending as I have experienced for some time.  

Two childhood friends (and nascent sweethearts) Na Young and Hae Sung lose touch with one another when Na's family leave South Korea for Toronto.

Twelve years later, they reconnect via Facebook, until Na (who has changed her name to Nora) brings their conversations to an end.  She then meets Arthur who she marries.

Another twelve years pass, and then Hae visits Nora and Arthur in New York.  Then he leaves.

That's it. 

Except that although Nora loves Arthur, all three know that in a different life Nora and Hae could have been soul mates and found happiness together.  This makes for an underlying tension and sadness which becomes unbearable by the time Nora and Hae have to part.   

Apparently the film's title refers to a Buddhist-derived concept of inyeon, of how a relationship between two souls in the present life might be influenced by their relationships in thousands of past lives.  It's a lovely idea which provides some comfort to Nora and Hae, especially the latter.

All three lead actors are superb at conveying what is largely unsaid.  In particular the performance of Greta Lee as Nora is one for the ages.  She conveys so much suppressed emotion with such small imperceptible changes in expression or eye movements.  How it didn't get an Oscar nomination is quite beyond me.  

The final scene, as she stands next to Hae as he waits for his taxi, is devastating. 

 RATING: ✓✓ Catch It If You Can