Eternity

Life can sometimes present us with hard choices. However, according to the latest feature from writer-director David Freyne, death can hand us some even bigger ones. That’s the dilemma posed to Joan Cutler (Elizabeth Olsen), who passes away after a long and happy life. But, once in the afterlife, she faces a task that’s not at all what she expected, given the unforeseen nature of what eternity turns out to be. It turns out that the deceased get to pick the form of eternity that they wish to experience, one drawn from a virtually infinite range of interests based on personal preferences. But there are a few catches: (1) newly arrived spirits have a week to choose the eternity they wish to experience, and (2) once they make their decision, there’s no changing it. However, this process is further complicated for Joan by the fact that two predeceased souls have awaited her arrival, both of whom want to accompany her into whatever form of eternity she selects: her recently deceased husband of 65 years, Larry (Miles Teller), and the first love of her life, her long-departed first husband, Luke (Callum Turner). She loves them both, feelings that Larry and Luke freely reciprocate. But how can Joan make such a difficult choice? Her assigned afterlife coordinator (AC) (John Early) tries to help, as does Larry’s AC (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), but there’s only so much they can do. The same is true for Larry and Luke, as well as Joan’s recently deceased best friend, Karen (Olga Merediz), but the final decision is hers. So what will she decide? “Eternity” presents viewers with an intriguing tale of what to do under circumstances as trying as these. It thus shows that what most of us imagine to be a time of ever-lasting bliss and harmony can carry challenges not unlike the lives we just left, even if potential happiness ultimately awaits us for successfully surviving such tests of character. In that sense, it calls to mind parallels examined in such previous related offerings as “Defending Your Life” (1991) and “What Dreams May Come” (1998). And, in doing so, this delightful supernatural romantic comedy-drama holds viewer interest well with its numerous plot twists, inventive and surprisingly edgy humor, steady narrative pacing, and fine performances from the entire ensemble, especially Randolph and Early in memorable supporting roles. It’s also gratifying to watch a romcom that doesn’t resort to clichés or get trapped in the kinds of sappy, manipulative tropes so often typical of releases in this genre. Indeed it’s refreshing to see a depiction of eternity that certainly doesn’t unduly feel like it. Here’s hoping the real thing comes across the same way.

The ailing “Joan” (Betty Buckley) and her husband “Larry” (Barry Primus) have been married for sixty-odd years and have become a typically cantankerous couple. They are going to their grandchild's gender reveal party where he helps himself to one pretzel too many and ends up beating his wife up the heavenly escalator. Everyone in God’s waiting room arrives at the age at which they were their happiest, and so now “Larry” has become Miles Teller and is assigned “Anna” (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) to help him plan his eternity from a wide variety of options set out in a series of stalls like those at an Ideal Homes Exhibition. He goes to drown his sorrows whilst he ponders his options and meets barman “Luke” (Callum Turner) and then, guess what, “Joan” follows suit and now Elizabeth Olsen arrives just in time for them to plan their eternity together and live happily ever after. Well that might have been the plan except that “Luke” turns out to be her first husband, killed in the Korean War, and he has been waiting all this time for her to arrive. She has quite a choice to make. The first love, the lifetime one, neither? What now ensues sees the two men joust verbally and physically for the love of their lady whilst she avails herself of the memory archives to help her choose. It sounds quite cheesy and sentimental but it’s actually quite a poignant look at marriage. How love’s bright spark becomes something perhaps dull or perhaps sustaining, maybe even both? With an eternity looming what chance any of us could agree on how best to spend it, much less imagine we might still be 28 in one thousand years time! The scene-stealing Randolph and John Early’s fellow counsellor “Ryan” help keep the humour simmering always nicely as it ambles along and though charming sounds a bit twee, that’s what this is and there’s probably a leaflet for it, too.

Enjoyed the premise. There are some great jokes, but they're sporadic. The two AC's steal every scene they're in. Overall, it was just 'meh'.