A vague review of Eternity directed by David Freyne.
Eternity was a beautiful, colorful film that explores the everlasting trope of choosing everlasting love. I wonder what it says about me (or society) whenever I get excited that a movie has a vibrant color palette. Let go of the angst of the real world, and laugh at the constant witty quips between the characters.
I marched into that film wearing a pre-ordered ‘Team Callum Turner’s Character’ shirt, very reminiscent of my ‘Team Pedro Pascal’s Character’ shirt I wore to ‘Materialists.’ However, by the second interaction post-death, I knew how the film was going to end. Even though the movie jerks you around a bit (how I love the feeling of an entire audience groaning together at the scare). The movie makes you question your own life, specifically the life you never had. A future that wraps you up in its arms and never allows you to let go of all that could have been. Elizabeth Olsen’s character, Joan, is often told to make a choice that will not leave her with regrets. However, living your life stuck in nostalgia will only remove you from the life you’re living now. The choice between her first and second husband doesn’t even give her a chance to process that her life has ended, and she has seven days to decide where to spend eternity. Instead, Joan, like many of us, has to wonder what could’ve been. Who she could’ve been if her first husband hadn’t passed away so soon, and who she could still continue to become if she chooses him again for a guaranteed forever. The dream leaves you without the intricacies of real life, and that is what makes it so appealing.
You can spend an entire day on Pinterest, building your dream life with pictures that do not depict the pain, anger, or trials that come with reality. ‘Eternity’ reminds you that these perfect visions are not real. The reality you built, the reality you are living in at this very moment, should be cherished. Despite crushed dreams or hopes lost to time, appreciating what is in front of you is necessary for your happiness.
This isn’t a new concept in Hollywood. Conflict and imperfections are safe because it is what we know. We have an obsession with the imperfect, and that is prevalent in rom-coms. It’s the broke boyfriend who treats you badly, but loves you more than the perfect, rich guy your mother loves. I usually roll my eyes when the main love interest chooses the guy she fights in the rain with over the perfect man waiting inside. However, Eternity makes you satisfied with that choice. It’s not about what could have been, but about how it makes you appreciate what you already have. It’s the guy who knows how to calm you down when you’re faced with an impossible choice regarding the rest of your existence.
Imperfection may never live up to what you imagine, but it’s hopefully just what you need.