‘Eternity’ Review

Stars: Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, John Early, Christie Burke, Danny Mac, Damon Johnson | Written by Patrick Cunnane, David Freyne | Directed by David Freyne

Unlike most love triangles you watch on screen, this one doesn’t pretend to be real.

I don’t usually lead by talking about the plot, but for this one, it is the real hook. Larry and Joan, an old couple, die and find themselves in the space between death and the afterlife. Rather than being all dreamy and surreal, it’s like a mix between a train station and a hotel with sassy concierges rushing about. The jeopardy arrives when Joan’s late first husband waltzes in, having waited 67 years to see her again. Joan must choose who she spends eternity with, and she cannot change her mind.

Now, I know you’re used to Love Island and tacky rom coms, but I want to assure you that this is more than just gleeful and scandalous. Eternity actually explores the dichotomy between two types of love, and without diminishing the other. A marriage that was built, survived and evolved vs a “perfect” marriage that was taken too soon.

The key question here is… how do you resolve this? Not just for the trio but for everyone watching. We want a happy resolution! We want to believe in love! I think it was done incredibly well, and the last act was my favourite – which is REALLY rare for me…well, part of the reason for that is because I was struggling to feel the two relationships until the final act, and maybe it had to do that in order to land the final blow?

Part of that is because Elizabeth Olsen acted her SOCKS OFF, and she heavily outshone her fellow leads. Her conflict was not slapstick at all; the emotion she achieved on her face felt hard-earned. I always root for actors who made it big doing Marvel films, and I love it when they show why they made it to the top. I think I’d have liked to see a comparable anguish in the male characters. Anyway, that’s my ‘even better if’ note.

The other thing to note is that Da’Vine Joy Randolph and John Early (but particularly the former) were extremely fun as the dedicated concierge/personal cheerleaders for each potential couple. It’s why the romantic comedy genre is so popular; the moments of levity fit so neatly with the central plot.

Eventually, the moral of the story arrived, and it was so mature and nuanced. I was very impressed. It shows us that our happiest moment isn’t necessarily the pinnacle of what we strive for.

***½  3.5/5

Eternity is in cinemas now.