Directed by: David Freyne
Written by: David Freyne and Patrick Cunnane
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, Callum Turner, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Barry Primus, Betty Buckley, and John Early
Runtime: 112 minutes
‘Eternity’ isn’t a timeless classic, but it’s a lovely, gratifying rom-com
The afterlife.
What happens when we pass away? Where do we go?
These are questions that human beings have pondered for as long as we’ve walked the earth.
Devout believers have absolute certainty about eternal life, while skeptics question the existence of a hereafter.
Many of “us” fall somewhere in between, hoping for some sort of positive version of existential paradise.
Director David Freyne’s delightful and contemplative rom-com, “Eternity”, explores an encouraging vision of eternal life, if we - to quote “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989) - “have chosen…wisely.”
Better yet, will we choose wisely?
Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, and Callum Turner star in a love-triangle comedy where Joan (Olsen) must make the ultimate choice with absolutely everything on the line. To spend eternity with Larry (Teller), her husband of 60-plus years, or Luke (Turner), her first husband, who tragically passed away while they were in their 20s.
Joan built a life with Larry for over six decades but lost her chance with Luke when fate cut their earthly bond short.
What a difficult choice!
“That sounds stressful,” said my friend when this critic described the film’s premise to her.
She’s not wrong!
Larry – who died just a week before Joan – and Luke – who passed 67 years prior – make legitimate rationales to be Joan’s everlasting partner, and Freyne and Patrick Cunnane’s screenplay keeps us guessing throughout the 112-minute runtime.
Even though Joan faces a taxing, “grave” decision, “Eternity” shares playful banter between the three leads and rollicks with spirited, bouncy surprises in the celestial environment.
Fans of director/writer Albert Brooks’ hilarious and thought-provoking comedy, “Defending Your Life” (1991) – where Daniel (Brooks) and Julia (Meryl Streep) defend their lives with lawyers in Judgment City - will relish Freyne’s creativity here as well.
In “Defending”, amusement park trams shuttle the recently deceased – dressed in white robes - to a hotel-like spot, complete with pragmatic courtrooms and celebratory Vegas-style buffets.
Meanwhile, “Eternity” opts for a train station for the newly departed, and the passengers wear their street clothes. This otherworldly junction feels like a hotel as well, but Freyne and Cunnane include plenty of laugh-out-loud wonders that won’t be revealed in this review, so that these enjoyable moments can be experienced in your local cineplex for the first time.
This magical backdrop – created with art director Andrew Li’s and production designer Zazu Myers’ thoughtful touches - by itself won’t complete this theatrical experience. Thankfully, Olsen, Teller, and Turner share lovely chemistry that invests the audience’s sentiment in Joan’s ultimate choice, one that impacts three fates, as both husbands hang on her every utterance.
During the first act, actors Barry Primus and Betty Buckley play 80 or 90-something versions of Larry and Joan on Earth, and they physically resemble Teller and Olsen, as all four thespians embody these two characters’ personalities. This elderly couple banters and bickers about daily tasks, like traffic, while driving to their son’s home for a birthday party, and one spouse declares to the other, “I don’t love to complain.”
Larry and Joan have shared all their stories with one another probably over 1,000 times. After so many years of marriage, they know each other’s strengths, shortcomings, and every aspect of their physical and emotional makeups.
Teller and Olsen nicely portray their 80-year-old on-screen selves, where you’d swear that Teller’s Larry will look for a newspaper to clip coupons while Olsen’s Joan frets about paper cut danger. These octogenarians have tricenarian bodies, and they comically enjoy their newfound youth in a charming moment of a particular calisthenic.
Conversely, Luke is a cool, attractive, suave customer who spent decades waiting for Joan with all the promise of second chances that she never thought the gods would conjure and then grant.
The pressure is on, Joan!
Luckily, afterlife consultants Anna (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and Ryan (John Early) often break the tension with affable supporting performances that give Larry and Joan clearer perspectives and frequent shots of helpful advice.
Well, here’s some helpful advice. Find “Eternity” in theatres. It’s not a timeless classic, but it’s a gratifying time at the movies.
Jeff’s ranking
3/4 stars
