Eternity (English) Review {2.0/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, Callum Turner
Director: David Freyne
Eternity Movie Review Synopsis:
ETERNITY is the story of a woman and her two lovers. Larry (Barry Primus) and Joan (Betty Buckley) are in their 80s and married for 65 years. Both attend a family function where Larry consumes pretzels. Larry chokes on the snack and dies. He reaches The Junction, which he assumes is a pit stop before one is designated to heaven or hell. He notices that he looks quite young (played by Miles Teller). His AC or afterlife coordinator Anna (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) explains to him that they are relegated to that period in life when they were the happiest. Larry has a week to choose several 'worlds' where he can live until eternity. Joan is terminally ill and Larry was taking care of her. Larry requests Anna to let him be in The Junction until Joan dies and meets him. Anna makes it clear that it will be against the rules. Larry spends his week roaming around The Junction and befriends a bartender, Luke (Callum Turner). One week passes and Larry is forced to leave. As Larry is leaving, Joan dies and arrives at The Junction. She is also quite young (played by Elizabeth Olsen). Larry is overjoyed but his happiness is short lived. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Eternity Movie Story Review:
Pat Cunnane and David Freyne's story is out of the box. Pat Cunnane and David Freyne's screenplay is amusing but fails to score on the emotional front. The dialogues are decent. As it happens with most films released by PVR Inox Pictures, there are no subtitles and hence, some dialogues might not be easy to comprehend.
David Freyne's direction is decent. His treatment is in the zone of Woody Allen-meets-Wes Anderson. Hence, the goings-on leave a smile, while the production design and imagination add to the visual appeal. The humour is spot-on in many places, especially with regards to the various stalls at The Junction. The dilemma faced by the characters makes for an interesting watch. The finale is intriguing and the film ends on a fair note.
On the flipside, Larry's reaction once he reaches the junction is unconvincing. It doesn't seem like he's in shock over being dead and being in a strange place. Also, the film is not emotionally strong; one doesn't feel much for the characters, though they have genuine grievances. Lastly, the film has negligible awareness in India.
Eternity Movie Review Performances:
Miles Teller is let down a bit by the writing in the beginning portions, but gets his act right later on. Elizabeth Olsen adds to the star value and performance-wise, she is first-rate. She also looks quite stunning. Callum Turner is wonderful as the ‘perfect’ lover who waited for ‘eternity’ for his love. Da'Vine Joy Randolph and John Early (Ryan) are entertaining. Olga Merediz (Karen) also does well, though her character springs up all of a sudden.
Eternity movie music and other technical aspects:
David Fleming's music is in sync with the film's mood. Ruairí O'Brien's cinematography is alright. Zazu Myers' production design is one of the film's USPs. Angus Strathie's costumes are enticing. Joe Sawyer's editing is fine.
Eternity Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, ETERNITY scores for its high-concept premise, and fine performances. However, the weak emotional connect and negligible awareness mean that its box office prospects in India are almost non-existent.