Wednesday, October 11, 2023
United Kingdom 2023
Location: SilverCity
Showtimes: 6:30 & 8:30 pm

Director: Thaddeus O’Sullivan
Cast:  Maggie Smith, Kathy Bates, Agnes O’Casey, Laura Linney, Stephen Rea
Running time: 91 minutes
Language: English 

“The film succeeds mainly because of a flawless ensemble, among whom viewers can put their faith in the eternally dependable Smith stealing the movie.”—David Stratton, The Australian

The setting is Ballygar, a working class suburb of Dublin, 1967. Lily (Maggie Smith) and Eileen (Kathy Bates) are lifelong friends. It is a close community where gossip reigns, and grudges go on for generations. Beneath the surface lies a yearning for relief from day to day drudgeries. 

One day, good fortune smiles upon Lily, Eileen, and their younger friend Dolly (Agnes O’Casey) when, through a talent contest, they win tickets to Lourdes, the pilgrimage site in France, a place the women have all been longing to visit. 

Each woman is looking for a miracle. Eileen has found a lump in her breast, but tells nobody. Her husband (Stephen Rea) and a batch of children provide wearying burdens. Lily can't get over the death of her son Declan, who drowned many years before. Dolly's young son cannot (or won't?) speak, and Dolly hopes for a cure.

Tension arises when Chrissie (Laura Linney) returns to town for her mother’s funeral. She's been gone from the town for decades, but some bad blood seems to be simmering among the women. Through various coincidences, Chrissie joins the trio in going off to Lourdes, praying for personal, physical, and spiritual saviours.

Director O’Sullivan directs in an unhurried fashion, in keeping with the pace of life in a small town. The cinematography offers beautiful landscapes with towering cliffs and jagged rocks contrasted against the cozy blocks of village homes. The buildings all look authentic, weathered but warm, conjuring a palpable, homey atmosphere. .  

At Lourdes, secrets and grudges come to a head. Some plot predictability is forgiven by watching these actresses at work. Smith is in typically fine form, confronting her personal demons. Miracles may be found in a higher entity or in relationships or in one’s own personal resolve. Minor miracles may come but in ways each lady never anticipated.    

Wednesday, September 27, 2023
South Korea 2023
Location: SilverCity
Showtimes: 6:30 & 8:30 pm

Director:  Celine Song
Cast:  Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro
Running time: 106 minutes
Language: Korean with English subtitles

Hollywood Critics Awards: Best Independent Film, Best Actress (Greta Lee), Best Screenplay (Celine Song); Golden Trailer Awards: Best Romance. Eight other nominations

“Past Lives is quietly powerful – an understated examination of longing, connection, and unconsummated love.”—James Berardinelli, Reelviews

Two deeply connected childhood friends, Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), fatefully reunite in New York City after being wrested apart 20 years ago, in this decades-spanning romance from writer-director Celine Song. 

The story begins in South Korea, where 12-year-old Nora is preparing to emigrate with her family to Canada. But she is leaving someone dear behind: Hae Sung, her closest friend. Twelve years later, Nora (Greta Lee) has relocated from Toronto to New York to pursue her dreams of being a playwright. 

Eventually, with the help of the internet, Nora finds Hae Sung and rekindles their friendship over Skype. But with 6,000 miles persistently separating them, they lose their connection again as they once did as children. More time passes, and the two friends — now in their 30s — reunite in person in New York. 

By this time, Nora is married to a writer named Arthur (John Magaro) and Hae Sung is newly out of a long-term relationship. Nora shows Hae Sung the city as they elegantly dance around their past and the fated nature of their relationship. 

The ties between two people over the course of their lives are expressed beautifully and succinctly in a single Korean word: in-yeon. “Past Lives” is a delicately layered triptych that confronts destiny, love, and the choices that shape a life. Song’s graceful romance is about the acceptance of loss that becomes a defining part of adulthood.