Eternity

By Joanna Langfield

Whip a high concept with emotional depth along with some lovely actors and you’ve got a recipe for another worldly charmer.

Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen and Callum Turner headline in a pleasingly intended spin on classics such as the more potent Defending Your Life. Here, the action centers on a heavenly love triangle. A newly deceased, long married couple show up in that eternal waiting room, about to choose which destination in which they will spend their shared eternity. It’s basically a no-brainer for him, the only decision is do they take to the mountains or the beach. But the plot thickens when it turns out her first husband, the handsome young hero who died in the war, is there, too, and he’s been patiently waiting to reunite with his beloved for all these years. Ah, swoon.

Writer/director David Freyne loses the momentum about halfway through, but also hits some definite sweet spots, adding the devine Da’vine Joy Randolph to the mix among them. But mostly, it’s the three lead actors who insure even the stickiest moments land like a feather. Turner and Olsen make the most of their longing lovers, but its Miles Teller who is the biggest surprise to me. His baggy, shaggy stalwart of a husband may not sweep any of us off our feet, yet he is irresistible in a most relatable way, defining love with his feet on the ground, even when he’s up in the clouds.