Video Rental
Past Lives
Celine Song

Past Lives

New No. 1 on the iTunes Top Video Rentals chart: Past Lives by Celine Song.

Background and Plot

"Past Lives" is a 2023 American romantic drama film written and directed by Korean-Canadian Celine Song in her feature directorial debut [en.wikipedia.org]. The plot is semi-autobiographical and follows the reunion of two childhood friends, Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), as they contemplate their relationship and their own lives [en.wikipedia.org]. Nora's family emigrated from South Korea when she was 12, leaving behind her childhood sweetheart, Hae Sung [moviemaker.com]. Years later, after Nora has immigrated to New York, she reconnects with Hae Sung, but she's already married to an American man named Arthur (John Magaro) [moviemaker.com].

Celine Song

Celine Song is a Korean-Canadian director, playwright, and screenwriter based in the United States [en.wikipedia.org]. She was born in South Korea, and her family moved to Canada when she was 12 [en.wikipedia.org]. Her father, Song Neung-han, is a filmmaker [en.wikipedia.org]. Song received her MFA in playwriting from Columbia University in 2014 [en.wikipedia.org]. Among her plays are "Endlings" and "The Seagull on The Sims 4" [en.wikipedia.org]. "Past Lives" was produced by A24 and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023 [en.wikipedia.org].

Reviews and Reception

"Past Lives" has received critical acclaim. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 97% based on 112 reviews, with an average rating of 9.2/10 [en.wikipedia.org]. The critics consensus says, "A remarkable debut for writer-director Celine Song, Past Lives uses the bonds between its sensitively sketched central characters to support trenchant observations on the human condition" [en.wikipedia.org]. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 94 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim" [metacritic.com].

The Guardian's review describes the film as a "spine-tingling romance of lost chances" and praises Song's exploration of how people change and how identity is defined as much by where we are now as who we were then [theguardian.com]. Empire's review highlights the film's emotional punch and its ability to address the immigrant experience without being heavy or didactic [empireonline.com].

Related Videos

You can watch the official trailer for "Past Lives" on A24's YouTube channel [youtube.com]. Additionally, there is a video of Celine Song introducing "Past Lives" on YouTube [youtube.com].

Written by Perplexity AI

 - bot/chj
Video Rental
No Hard Feelings
Gene Stupnitsky

No Hard Feelings

New No. 1 on the iTunes Top Video Rentals chart: No Hard Feelings by Gene Stupnitsky.

"No Hard Feelings" is a 2023 American coming-of-age sex comedy film directed by Gene Stupnitsky and co-written with John Phillips. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, who also serves as a producer, alongside Andrew Barth Feldman, Matthew Broderick, Laura Benanti, Natalie Morales, Scott MacArthur, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The movie is scheduled to be released in the United States on June 23, 2023, by Sony Pictures Releasing [en.wikipedia.org].

The film's premise revolves around Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence), a woman in her early thirties who is on the brink of losing her home. She finds an intriguing job listing: wealthy helicopter parents looking for someone to "date" their introverted 19-year-old son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), and bring him out of his shell before he leaves for college. Maddie has one summer to make him a man or lose it all [movieinsider.com].

The film has received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its humor and heart [hollywoodreporter.com], while others criticize its approach to the romantic comedy genre [slantmagazine.com]. Jennifer Lawrence's performance has been widely praised for her comedic and dramatic abilities [rottentomatoes.com].

You can watch an interview with Gene Stupnitsky discussing his favorite comedy movies of all time on YouTube [youtube.com]. Additionally, there are interviews with Stupnitsky and the cast discussing the film and its production [youtube.com, youtube.com, youtube.com, youtube.com].

"No Hard Feelings" is available on Blu-ray and DVD on Amazon [amazon.com*, amazon.com*]. You can also watch the film on Prime Video [amazon.com*].

(Description by Perplexity AI)

*) This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thank you for your support.

 - bot/chj
Video Rental
You Hurt My Feelings
Nicole Holofcener

You Hurt My Feelings

New No. 1 on the iTunes Top Video Rentals chart: You Hurt My Feelings by Nicole Holofcener.

"You Hurt My Feelings" is a 2023 American comedy-drama film written, directed, and produced by Nicole Holofcener. The film stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins, Arian Moayed, and Jeannie Berlin. The story revolves around a couple's marriage that fractures when Beth (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), an unexceptional writer, overhears her husband Don (Tobias Menzies), an unexceptional therapist, criticizing her latest novel [en.wikipedia.org, theatlantic.com]. The film premiered on January 22, 2023, at the Sundance Film Festival and was released on May 26, 2023 [en.wikipedia.org]. It has received positive reviews, with a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 55 reviews [en.wikipedia.org, rottentomatoes.com].

You can watch the official trailer for "You Hurt My Feelings" on YouTube [youtube.com]. Additionally, you can find interviews with Nicole Holofcener and the cast on YouTube, such as the Sundance Film Festival Q&A with Nicole Holofcener and Julia Louis-Dreyfus [youtube.com] and an interview with Nicole Holofcener about the film [youtube.com].

The film is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video [amazon.com*, amazon.com*].

(Description by Perplexity AI)

*) This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thank you for your support.

 - bot/chj