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 husband (Callum Turner), who died in the Korean War not long after they married, and who has waited decades for her to arrive.
The trailer for David Freyne’s bittersweet comedy did not sell it well, and, in a packed schedule, I was going to give it a miss. But glowing reviews changed my mind, and I am glad they did. Freyne co-wrote the screenplay with Pat Cunnane and they have done a great job. It so easily could have drowned in schmaltz and sentimentality, but instead is perceptive about relationships and very touching. It also provides a number of laughs, primarily from Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s performance as an afterlife co-ordinator and from the various themed afterlives that are on offer.
Freyne has spoken of being inspired by A Matter of Life and Death. I don’t think Eternity will be considered an all time classic like that, but it is smart and romantic, and I can see it becoming a date night staple.
Rating: 8 out of 10