Eternity (4 Stars)

It's unfortunately common that a film has a premise that sounds great, but the story lets it down. In the case of "Eternity" it's the other way round. The premise sounds ridiculous, but the resulting film is well written and well filmed. I'm glad I went to see it. When I read the film's description on my cinema's web site my initial impulse was to stay at home because it sounded too stupid.

The premise: when people die they arrive in a waiting area where they can pick their own afterlife. They have seven days to choose, during which time they're harassed by hundreds of salesmen with leaflets promoting their styles of afterlife experience. The catch is that decisions are final. Once you've decided where you want to go, that's where you stay forever. Eternity.

The only way to postpone your choice is by getting a job in the waiting area. Some people do this because they don't know where they want to go to – for instance, a beach or a mountain resort – whereas others want to postpone their choice until their loved one dies and they can choose together.

That's what happens to Larry (Miles Teller), who dies after choking on a pretzel. He knows that his wife Joan (Elizabeth Olsen), to whom he's been married for 65 years, has terminal cancer, so he delays his choice to wait for her. Luckily she arrives a week later.

This is where the problems start. Joan had a husband before Larry who died in the Korean War. Luke (Callum Turner) has been waiting for Joan for 67 years. Now Joan has to decide between her two husbands.

This was the introduction. Now the real story starts. It's an amazing film, deeply emotional.