Movie Review: ‘Eternity’ | Moviefone

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Initial Thoughts

(L to R) Miles Teller and Elizabeth Olsen in ‘Eternity’. Photo: A24.

Classic films like ‘Defending Your Life’ and ‘Heaven Can Wait’ have found rich material to mine for both comedy and romance in fantastical, often whimsical depictions of the afterlife – or, more specifically, the way stations we stop at on our journey before moving to whatever permanent form of existence that afterlife takes.

‘Eternity,’ from director and co-writer David Freyne, traverses the same mystical territory, channeling Albert Brooks’ ‘Defending Your Life’ in particular. But while Freyne’s feature is amusing and fairly entertaining, its rather static direction and lightweight treatment of its emotional core never make it feel as transcendent as it could.

Story and Direction

(L to R) Elizabeth Olsen and Olga Merediz in ‘Eternity’. Photo: A24.

Elderly couple Larry and Joan Cutler (Barry Primus and Betty Buckley) are visiting their family when Larry abruptly chokes to death on a pretzel. He wakes up to find himself in the first stage of the afterlife, known as the Junction, where not only do you look like you did when you were at your happiest (in this case the form of Miles Teller) but where you stay in a moderately luxurious hotel while having a week to choose where you want to spend eternity, in whatever manner you decide.

The options are all available in a funny kind of marketplace outside the hotel, where final destinations like Smoking World (‘cancer can’t kill you twice’) and No Men World (‘sold out’) jostle for business with more mundane locales like mountain cabins and tropical beaches. But once you decide on where to spend eternity, the decision is final. And if you decide you want to wait for a loved one to join you, you can stay at the Junction, which is what Larry decides to do so he can wait for Joan.

He doesn’t have to wait long, as Joan succumbs to illness not long after and materializes looking like Elizabeth Olsen. But there’s a hitch: Joan’s first husband, Luke (Callum Turner), who was killed in the Korean War not long after they were married, has been waiting for her to show up as well. And now she must determine which of the two she wants to spend eternity with, and where – although the rules get a little cloudy at this point.

(L to R) Callum Turner and Elizabeth Olsen in ‘Eternity’. Photo: A24.

All this information is relayed through heavy exposition by beings known as ‘afterlife coordinators,’ who are assigned to each new arrival. Larry’s is played by Da’Vine Joy Randolph, while John Early portrays Joan’s, and it’s a credit to both performers that they more or less steal the movie with their own amusing rapport and bits of business while explaining how this version of the afterlife works.

Freyne’s direction is not especially stylish, often resulting in long, enervated shots that don’t leap off the screen but are fortunately bolstered by his game cast. The movie itself is entertaining enough in a low-key, low-stakes kind of way, and the superficial treatment of the concept, the emotions at play, and the decisions at the heart of the film render it a lot less poignant or thought-provoking than it could be.

Cast and Performances

(L to R) John Early and Da’Vine Joy Randolph in ‘Eternity’. Photo: A24.

Neither Miles Teller nor Elizabeth Olsen, while fine actors, are known for their comedic chops, and ‘Eternity’ is not going to change that, really. Both are good, and Teller does play against his usual type – either super-tense or swaggering – while Olsen’s natural appeal powers her through the film. One thing both actors do well is use their body language to remind you that they are playing characters who, in their minds, are well into old age even if they look like their younger selves.

Less impressive is Callum Turner, although his character is perhaps the most poorly written of the three leads – a shining knight one moment and a surly man-child the next. But the movie’s scene-stealers are easily Da’Vine Joy Randolph and John Early as the afterlife coordinators. Both have a rapport and dynamic that provides both the biggest laugh lines and many of the film’s funniest moments.

Final Thoughts

(L to R) Callum Turner and Elizabeth Olsen in ‘Eternity’. Photo: A24.

‘Eternity’ is an odd film. It’s not particularly cinematic, yet its premise – at least initially – is kind of clever and well-suited to a big screen comedy. Yet neither the direction nor the screenplay ever quite make it hit home emotionally, despite a few stirring moments. The end result is an amiable attempt at a rom-com crowd-pleaser that may pass the time relatively pleasantly but doesn’t make its insights as profound as they could be.

‘Eternity’ receives a score of 65 out of 100.

(L to R) Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller in ‘Eternity’. Photo: A24.

What is the plot of ‘Eternity’?

In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with (Miles Teller) and her first love (Callum Turner), who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive.

Who is in the cast of ‘Eternity’?

• Miles Teller as Larry Cutler
• Elizabeth Olsen as Joan Cutler
• Callum Turner as Luke
• Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Anna
• John Early as Ryan
• Olga Merediz as Karen
• Barry Primus as Old Larry
• Betty Buckley as Old Joan

‘Eternity’ opens in theaters on November 14th.

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