If only evaluated from the social media, this film can be hailed as the best romantic film this year. There are nearly 200 media reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with only 5 negative ones and a high score of 9.1. Besides, its score reaches 94 points on Metacritic, which makes it a must-see film. If you are interested in Hollywood, you can’t miss it as well, especially with A24 operating behind the scenes. Thanks to the fact that the director is of Asian descent, the film is expected to generate significant buzz and discussion. During screenings at the Berlin International Festival and other film festivals, many comments likened it to "The Before Trilogy," describing it as a romantic and poignant film.
The film's narrative can be simplified into three distinct parts, each revolving around a different instance of separation. When Nora was 12 years old, she moved to Canada with her parents, leaving behind her friend Hai Cheng in Korea. This marked their first separation. Twelve years later, as an adult living in New York, Nora reconnected with Hai Cheng on Facebook. They engaged in daily video calls but eventually chose to cut off contact, constituting their second separation. Another 12 years passed, during which Hai Cheng travelled from Korea to the United States to meet Nora. After 24 years, they reunited, but this encounter marked their third and final parting.
The narrative revolves around a man and a woman, suggesting a potential romantic relationship and a hopeful conclusion. However, in the end, it appears that nothing significant transpires between them. Perhaps this is also the most interesting part of the film. It is close to our reality and life, which allows many ordinary audiences to quickly find familiar experience and resonated with it. After all, every ordinary person will experience familiar stuff: relationship, marriage, family, need for love, regret in life, growth, learning to let go. The sense of reality in the story may stem from its authenticity, as it reflects events that have occurred in people's lives.
In her debut film, Korean-American director Celine Song infused many of her own life experiences, contributing to a seamless and authentic filming process. Although it is based on the director's real life, it is still a film, which has been made through a lot of processing, making it relatively objective and deeper in thoughts. This film is not only about love, but also many other topics, such as youth, memories, immigrants, hometown, immigrants’ identity and so on. Indeed, the film offers multiple layers of interpretation, adding depth and resonance to the story. For instance, if one interprets the character's tears at the end solely as sorrow over missing her lover, it might not align with her independent personality displayed earlier in the film. Clearly, her tears are laden with complex emotions, encompassing nostalgia for her childhood boyfriend, a sense of loss for her youthful hometown, and various other sentiments.
In an interview, the director pointed out that Nora had multiple egos, one is an independent writer based in New York, while the other one is the girl who stayed in Korea, and in her inner heart are others. It's like when we are with our parents, we suddenly feel like we are teenagers. Additionally, the director, being from East Asia, infused the film with Oriental perspectives. The concept of "karma" was prominently featured throughout the movie, adding a unique cultural layer to the narrative. The female protagonist explained to his foreign husband that marriage and love all come from karma. Therefore, the reason that male and female protagonist missed each other in the end was also attributed to karma. But this is not entirely the reason. In fact, the female protagonist heroine was a very assertive and independent woman who knew exactly what she was doing and what she wanted. The reason that she separated from her lover in the end was not because of karma, but the most reasonable choice she made based on her own life status and future development. Clearly, she didn't want her romantic relationship to hinder her pursuit of her dreams. This approach is not very traditional in the East, but it portrays a more independent woman. This deviation from traditional romantic narratives sets the film apart, emphasizing the growing awareness of independent women.
Although this is director Celine Song's debut film, her years of experience as a screenwriter and stage drama worker have made her skilful in directing this film, and she is experienced in dealing with lines and training actors.
If you want to know more about the beauty of it, go and watch this movie!
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