Take 42: Eternity
Eternity is a heavenly romantic comedy starring Miles Teller and Elizabeth Olsen as Larry and Joan, a recently deceased married couple who are thrown a curveball when the first love of Joan’s life Luke (Callum Turner) who died in the Korean War, finds himself reunited with Joan as they are all in the the waiting room before they choose the eternity the want to spend the hereafter. Joan has some decisions to make, when beau is she going to be spend her eternity with, the one who was taken too early who has been waiting for her since, or the one who came after, helped her pick up the pieces and built a life after. She has one week to choose and choose wisely because all sales are final and there are no take-backs.
This was another Mystery Movie for me. I had been through a string of dark and heavy films so having this was a refreshing change. I was expecting Now You See Me, Now You Don’t, but I was still relieved when the title card came up. Right off, it was very much up my alley. Ever since “A Womb With a View” the season 5 season opener of the Moonlighting TV series, this bureaucratic take on heaven has been a favorite of mine. In undergrad, I even revisited my own version on more than one occasion so I was picking up everting they were putting down. So many clever concepts and witty puns! It also some good questions- what WOULD you do if you forced to pick between the two loves of your life? And then what the after life you chose was boring. There is a museum afterlife as an offer that turns out to be utterly boring, but once selected your stuck.
The casting in this is nice, and a bit surprising. Prior to this, I only know Teller and Olsen from action films so seeing them do something so far off the beaten track was nice. I will say, prior to this, I have never really been a a fan of Teller. He always strikes me as very bro-ey, and, well, very douche-y. Here though, I actually liked him! He’s three-eight now and as he’s gotten older, so I guess he’s grown out of the bro-ey thing too. He is a little ornery and a little gruff so that helps too. Elizabeth Olsen feels very much in her lane and wears leading lady well. Callum Turner is charming and dreamy and it makes total sense that Joan would still be hung up on him. The biggest surprise in casting comes from Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Anna, Larry’s A.C. (After-life Coordinator.) Much like her Oscar winning role in The Holdovers, she is an instant crowd favorite and steal ever scene she’s in.
Eternity hits all the traditional elements of a rom-com with a cooler setting than most. It’s light and it’s fun, two things you don’t necessarily expect from an A24 movie. It gets where you expect but takes a different approach to get there. And I appreciate it for that. I had fun and was definitely entertained. My score: 8- I REALLY dug this take on heaven and the rules and regulations attached to it and how they were able to concoct a really fun story.
Leave your thoughts in the comment where they too may last an eternity. And until next time…
