Writer / Director: Celine Song

Starring: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro

Opening with a late night scene in a trendy New York bar a woman is sitting between two men and is locked into an intimate conversation with one of the men. The other man is clearly not engaged in the conversation and at times the woman has her back to him. You cannot hear their conversation but another couple, maybe siting at a distance, speculate about the relationships between the trio at the bar. This scene is the first of many where Korean-Canadian writer/director Celine Song expertly uses perspective to play with the viewer’s attitude to each of the main characters. For me this is the gold in this movie. The opening dialogue speculates that the couple looking lovingly at one another may be brother and sister or lovers. You will likely know that they are childhood sweethearts who have reconnected after many years but this opening scene gives you a false sense that you might know how this story ends.

We are then taken back Seoul where 12-year old Nora (Moon Seung-ah) and Hae Sung (Leem Seung-min) are classmates who compete for grades, are very close and go on a date organised by their parents shortly before Nora emigrates to Canada. The young Nora and Hae Sung do not express their feelings to each other well and their parting seems abrupt and with an absence of drama. That they may never see each other again does not appear to cross Nora’s mind but Hae Sung is clearly saddened by the move.

12 years later when both Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) are university students and Hae Sung has completed his national service, Hae Sung seeks out Nora by writing a social media comment on a post of her father’s new film. Nora then makes contact with Hae Sung and they embark on an intense long distance friendship that is then ended by Nora when she, studying in New York at the time, believes the relationship may not progress any further. Nora then meets fellow writer, Arthur (John Magaro), on a writing study placement in Montauk, they marry and settle in New York. Another 12 years passes, Nora and Arthur are still living together in New York and after many years without contact, Hae Sung contacts Nora to let her know he has plans to visit New York for a holiday. Hae Sung’s impending visit worries Arthur who then starts to question the strength of he and Nora’s marriage.

There are so many layers to Past Lives it’s one of those films that I have continued to think about and unpack since watching it. In one scene, Nora’s parents are smoking together in room of their apartment and playing a Leonard Cohen while they pack for their move. This scene suggests a sense of nostalgia toward their future home and possibly even reliving part of their youth. It appeared to be a thoughtful juxtaposition of the relaxed and liberal North America against a more structured and rigid South Korea. There is a realness to this movie and the setting, whether it be in Seoul or New York, has a sense of realness with plenty of the mundane and uninteresting on display. This is in no way a travelogue for either New York or Seoul. Well known landmarks are included but without fanfare and in some cases they add to a deliberate awkwardness. Hae Sung appears out of place in New York and he is clearly not there to see the sights. Past Lives is described as a romantic drama but it isn’t romantic in a traditional sense. Director Celine Song does a great job of portreying the complexity of relationships, how relationships can evolve as a result of convenience and how relationships can withstand challenges. Nora and Hae Sung are not prone to passionate whims and their careers take priority.

This is a beautifully well-crafted semi-autobiographical debut feature from Celine Song who uses camera angle, facial expression and dialogue to expertly manipulate perspective. This is an engaging journey through the challenges of relationships, the passing of time and belonging to place. Noting that Greta Lee was born and raised in Los Angeles to Korean parents and Teo Yoo was born in West Germany and is now residing in Seoul, both actors have expressed how thrilled they were to be involved in this project. The immigrant experience is something close to both of them and writer/director Celine Song has subtilely incorporated the complexities of the cross cultural experience in this film. This movie is far more than the sum of its parts and will stay with you for a long while.

4/5 stars

Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson

Starring: Marisa Abela, Jack O’Connell, Eddie Marsan & Lesley Manville

I enjoyed Amy Winehouse’s music when it was on the radio and I’m sure you would recall her being a regular in the tabloids for her substance abuse and violence. I walked into this screening with some interest, not much prior knowledge and an open mind.

This biopic, the first after many failed attempts since Winehouse’s death from alcohol poisoning in 2011, follows Winehouse from the beginning of her highly successful music career through to the end of her volatile relationship with husband, Blake. The film starts with Winehouse (Marisa Abela) as an adventurous and independent young Jewish woman with sharp wit and beaming confidence who plays regular pub gigs and is offered her first recording deal. Winehouse is no pushover, making immediate contract demands supported by her pseudo manager father and declaring “I ain’t no Spice Girl”. Winehouse has a close relationship with her London cab driving father (Eddie Marsan) who has a keen interest in jazz and his daughter’s music career. Winehouse is very close with her paternal grandmother, Cynthia (Lesley Manville) who she refers to as her ‘style icon’ and we later learn that Winehouse’s family, especially her nan Cynthia, has close ties to the London jazz scene. Winehouse has a taste for alcohol from the start but also a strong aversion to illicit drugs which she is quick to point out to cocaine using Blake (Jack O’Connell) when they first meet at a London pub. Winehouse enjoys strong musical success but also attracts the constant interest of the paparazzi for her off-stage lifestyle choices and behaviour.

Much is made of Winehouse’s connection with jazz throughout the feature including an impromptu visit to Ronny Scott’s where she jams with a band who is rehearsing. While the soundtrack is great the jazz content is not particularly prominent. The score was composed by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and produced by Giles Martin. Director Taylor-Johnson glowingly points out to Ben Travis of Empire* that Marisa Abela sang all the vocal parts with Winehouse’s original band members with exceptional results. Abela does a sterling job of both acting and vocals. Set in London, the close up camera work focuses more on the characters than the London setting. It is intimately filmed.

A fair bit of the story is missing but director, Sam Taylor-Johnson, has said that she intended for the film to portray Winehouse’s perspective rather than the perspective of others*. With this in mind, Winehouse is a troubled soul who falls in love, try’s unsuccesfully to start a family and is helpless in the face of substance abuse and behavioural issues. When the toxic relationship that she values so dearly ends she has little will to go on and then the story ends. The focus is clearly Winehouse’s internal struggles and her relationships, with her music career portrayed as effortless with no musical struggles or setbacks. Whilst I understand what Taylor-Johnson was trying to achieve, I felt myself wanting more detail. This movie may appeal to dedicated Winehouse fans or those who have first hand experience of the London scene in the noughties. I didn’t warm to Winehouse or Blake, but Jack O’Connell does a great job with the drug using larrikin that wins the heart of Winehouse. Blake’s inpromptu rendition of the Shangri-Las’ Leader of the Pack was well done and it was a solid performance from all cast. Winehouse appears helpless or not yet ready to deal with her demons and it was a bit like watching a train crash in slow motion without being fully invested in the victims. Maybe they went with authenticity over dramatic licence. Back To Black had all the right ingredients for success but it didn’t quite manage it. Worth a watch but not quite movie of the year.

3/5 stars

*Empire article by Ben Travis 11/01/2024

Director: Shinzo Katayama

Starring: Aoi Itô, Jirô Satô & Hiroya Shimizu

Genre: crime, drama, thriller

The melancholic and broke single father, Satoshi (Jirô Satô), tells his young daughter (Aoi Itô) that he plans to track down a serial killer (Hiroya Shimizu) in order to receive the advertised reward. Whilst Kaede (Aoi Itô) is initially dismissive of her father’s plan, Satoshi then disappears and Kaede, fearing the worst, goes looking for her father assisted by her well-meaning teacher and a male classmate.

Set in a present day depressed neighbourhood in metropolitan Osaka the cinematography and soundtrack is well-crafted and intentional. The realness of the setting; a tidy but dated apartment with functional but old furniture and bedsheets, the absence of Tokyo glitz and the roughness of the low skilled worksite where Satoshi worked, give a sense that the kind and likable Satoshi and his headstrong daughter are battlers barely surviving the drudgery of everyday life. However, as the origins of Satoshi and Kaede’s home life are revealed, the story takes a series of unexpected turns and it quickly develops into a gripping thriller that touches ever so briefly on the complexities of assisted dying, suicide and murder. Just when you think real life problems are being thoughtfully explored it moves to something more dark. Katayama pushes the boundaries but only just too far. Just when you feel that you can manage the darkness, Katayama pushes a little bit more, though not enough for you to call it quits. I’m not well-aquainted with Japanese cinema but I found this a worthwhile challenge. Whilst not initially evident, the viewer warnings of heavy violence and adult themes are warranted. The performances of Aoi Itô, Jirô Satô & Hiroya Shimizu are faultless. Not too heavy in gore, this could be a tough watch for the uninitiated but I am glad that I did.

3.5/5 stars