Alternate Best Actor 2023: Teo Yoo in Past Lives

Teo Yoo did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a BAFTA, for portraying Hae Sung in Past Lives. 

Past Lives tells the three phases of the relationship between Nora (Greta Lee), a Korean woman who moves to America with her parents and her old childhood crush from Korea. 

Teo Yoo plays first the college age Hae Sung, and it has to be said that both he and Lee are great in playing this age, technically with slight changes in appearance but more important is the vibe of their performance. There's a lack of maturity just innately in their manner in general, as they have the mix between the adult and still sort of breezy kind of childlike approach as we see the two in this phase in their lives. Their interaction here though is mainly through literally skype, and in their performances, what they give very much are performances befitting the skype call as compared to how we see them briefly in their personal lives, which again has that specific kind of untamed energy. Anyway the two link up, after their childhood pseudo romance, to talk again over the internet, where the performances beyond the age setting, which isn't something you even think about when watching the film, very much contain that specific approach in these conversations. As both performers are unnatural, in their naturalism, and by that what they do is that sort of awkwardness initially of the skype call, where there are the breaks in conversation from it, sometimes just due to lag, but more than anything this kind of way of monologuing a little bit of their lives due to the nature of it. We see that as each speaks with sincere enthusiasm towards their interests, hers art, his engineering, where both performers show the respectable give and take between their performances. They are interested in their way, but there is a certain presentation of this as well, as showing enthusiasm, not fakely, just in the skype way of making sure your emotions are seen. 

The skype call begins very gently as both performers speak with at first certain hesitations then more of a natural cadence slowly builds in their performances, as they each become more comfortable in sharing themselves as they go along. The key moments in this, is each speaks with interest in their lives and a calmness about them even. When each suggests a change in that, which would be one visiting the other, every time they ask "Why would I visit said country/city". Both performers again play this absolutely beautifully because they both say it as a question to be answered but also the answer. In that the delivery articulates this kind of sense of the lack of interest in separating themselves from their current existences though leaving something open in the pause. Something that we do in the suggestion when either suggests the invite with a similarly calm way that is trying to persuade them to come though again the delivery is revealing what they're saying while also hiding what they're saying. Neither is completely open in their performances, they're close to it, but they're just not quite there. The connection is there, but so is the disconnect in every one of these interactions, even as the skype awkwardness diminishes after a while, they still aren't quite directly as one. What we see is the possibility, but that possibility but also not quite being enough. And so far, I'm referring to the performances together, because they are so together in representing this state as one, even if separated in their place, and the two are as one in their moments of nostalgia, enjoying each other's company in conversation, and learning about one another, but also as one in keeping that certain barrier up. 

Their conversations end as neither takes the next step in terms of overtly saying they'd give up their current life for the other, and we leap 12 more years, and that is where the performances branch off fully between Lee and Yoo. Yoo we come back into, and again it is impressive is how much he is the "man" now compared to the younger man coming into his own previously. Again it is just a little less in terms of his physical manner that he creates just the sense of maturity in his movements and manner. It isn't anything showy, it is just something convincing that Yoo brings, and worth noting so does Lee, that we completely sense the change in time because we so clearly see the change in them. There is more though however to Yoo as we see him as the older man, successful enough, though living with his parents, which isn't out of the ordinary for Korea, however we do see a man very much more isolated. We see kind of a manner as he seems closed off a bit, even with his friends here, or with his parents, or even the brief glimpse we get of the man in any attempted romance. Yoo shows definitely more than a shield as we see an innate shyness in the man as part of who he is, and very much this quiet sense of isolation in Korea. Yoo doesn't present this as seething sorrow, but it is definitely something very direct and real as part of his existence. It is something he wears as he walks around and he shows absolutely a lonely man in Hae Sung. Although I wouldn't describe Yoo's performance as sad, it is hard not to feel a bit of sadness in seeing him go along as he did, as this solo man, clearly without a fundamental connection in his life. 

The true heart of the piece therefore comes in as he visits America to see Nora, who has now married the American Arthur (John Magaro) and seems happy enough in her success and her life as an American and New Yorker. Nonetheless she agrees to meet Hae Sung despite the two having ended on a note of that disconnection. And now the performances are great in the difference between them, despite the chemistry of their work. The chemistry which is palatable, we see particularly a fundamental shift that Yoo brings in showing that Hae Sung now doesn't have that air of loneliness anymore when he is with Nora. He's much more open and frankly there's just an innate cheer in his face as we see a man truly just unabashedly enjoying his time with her. I think what Yoo does so well is create the specific confines of this relationship and what it means for Hae Sung. As Yoo strikes probably the most ideal balance in creating the sense of love without suggesting anyone with truly any devious notions. Rather what Yoo does that is particularly fascinating is this kind of innocence in his performance that is rather beautifully performed because it really has two separate but pivotal impacts. The first being this innocence immediately disarms you from ever thinking that Hae Sung has any true ill-designs within this relationship, but also in a way shows more of the appeal for Nora to him as in a way, that never feel petulant or arrested development, is kind of the boy she once had a crush on in this way. Yoo finds this specific quality in his face that brings this special kind of manner that never feels unrealistic, but rather just naturally to the sense of the man who is this hopeless romantic, which in a way even accepts Nora's marriage as part of that. 

Yoo approaches each scene between them with this seeming sense of the romantic who is true to his heart, and in a way both completely open in his love for her, while also being respectful entirely with her love for her husband. A balance that perhaps shouldn't work, or at least should perhaps seem illogical, yet the way Yoo plays every moment of this, it just seems to make all the sense in the world. When for example he asks about Nora and Arthur sometimes fighting, Yoo's delivery is key because it could seem some kind of snipping at the relationship but how Yoo speaks the line is that of genuine curiosity. Curiosity that is part of the overall sense of discovery in his performance as he goes along exploring New York and America with her where Yoo brings always that quiet sense of appreciation for the time and the company as it is. We have the moments of him just appreciating the sights with her in this way and creating always this innate fascination with everything that Nora is. Yoo never overdoing this to being creepy though rather the right sense of earnestness to each interaction that creates a particularly moving portrayal of a man appreciating the woman without seeming aggressive in this way. Perhaps part of that is that obviously Nora is always speaking her mind, including noting his romantic sensibilities are what might keep him from being married, something where Yoo has this quiet sort of resignation about it, just as he also speaks about himself in not completely degrading way, but in a way of assuming himself to be just a bit less than he is. Again it's all in the exact delivery, because this could be miserable pathos tweaked one way or another, but Yoo finds just the right tone to make a natural expression of the man understanding his position in life, while accepting the challenge of it, maybe not loving that, but not hating it either. 

As beautifully done as the scenes of Nora and Hae Sung's "dates" are, which are as much made up in just the moments of glances and silences, which are pitch perfect in the sense of the history between the two and the sense of the "almost" within that. Neither is projecting lust, or some sense that either is going to suddenly run away with the other, but what you can't help but sense is the poignancy of the completely uncomplicated affection that does exist between them even as they must exist on their chosen path rather than the path together they very easily might've had. There is most certainly something there as they look at each other silently, but part of what is there is the knowledge that what is there cannot ever be more than that. I think the most dynamic scenes are the ending of the film where Hae Sung, Nora and Arthur go out together. It is a fascinating relationship that we see between the three of them in this situation that is something particularly special. Yoo in his delivery with Lee changes it a touch, as he speaks almost in this secret language to her, secret because Arthur really doesn't know it, and there is a kind of playfulness that Yoo brings at times as almost the old friend messing while hanging out with the new friend. It again is so deftly handled by Yoo he never seems weird in this approach but rather grants you a sense of their specific history as he does ask her why she hasn't gone to the Statue of Liberty with her husband. Yoo is so great though because even in these playful moments the sincerity of his performance is what shines through in granting a sense of needed honesty to this kind of ribbing while also reaffirming the connection he does share with Nora despite the distance of their relationship. And it is important to note the moments between Hae Sung and Arthur, albeit brief they are important. As both do have a certain awkwardness in their interactions with Yoo bringing the humbleness in his initial introduction, and then in their moment together, after a long night with Nora, Yoo and Magaro have a certain shakiness in their interactions, however still there is a special kind of sincerity as the two wish each other well regardless. They still always evoke that they are working in this strange space as they are, but as both actors present the men as trying to make the situation as ideal as possible even if definitely out of the ordinary. I particularly love the moment where Hae Sung says even they share connection, which Yoo again doesn't make it some over the top sell or even obfuscation of his intention rather genuine direct care towards the other man. The final moment between Hae Sung and Nora is almost just a silent goodbye, which is again tender, yet also complicated in the two clearly sharing much albeit in this very specific way. With their final words being acceptance of their choices and Yoo's delivery of it containing that complicated feeling of the could've been, but with this poignant contentment of someone who has also accepted things as they are. This is a truly great performance by Teo Yoo, that exists in such a subdued yet always resonate space, that crafts the journey not out of the big moments, but rather the gentle silences that denote such profound and fundamental connections.