Three Thousand Years of Longing Review

Last Updated on August 29, 2022

PLOT: A lonely woman discovers a Djinn locked away in his bottle. He offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.

REVIEW: George Miller is a filmmaker who continues to impress. It’s impossible not to connect the man to the brilliant franchise around Mad Max. Yet people sometimes forget the variety in Miller’s work. The director has given us a heart with Babe: Pig in the City and heartbreak with Lorenzo’s Oil. And he even made a dancing penguin super sweet in Happy Feet. And now, Miller’s latest takes on another fantastical element, a genie in a bottle. Three Thousand Years of Longing is a fantasy starring Tilda Swinton as a lonely art scholar who finds an old bottle, one that holds a Djinn (Idris Elba). It’s a weird and slightly wild tale of two lonely souls discovering each other through magic.

Tilda Swinton is Alithea, a scholar who picks up an old bottle and is fascinated by its design. She brings this artifact to her hotel room, unsuspecting that anything magical could happen. While attempting to clean the bottle, she breaks off the seal, it releases The Djinn (Elba). As his body transforms in front of her, this giant size genie appears to be happy to see someone outside his lonesome home. However, when he reveals his need to grant three wishes, he is surprised at this strange woman’s lack of interest in making a wish. Thus, she convinces him to tell her stories of old and how he ended up a prisoner looking to grant three wishes.

George Miller has crafted what is unabashedly an adult fairy tale – not that kind of “adult fairy tale” guys. It’s a fanciful tale that features a woman and a genie who tells her stories. While that’s not to say the entire film is two people chatting, it is a large portion of the film. That said, watching Swinton and Elba work together is magic. Swinton’s casual reaction to this massive man who can change his form from the size of a truck to being able to fit in a bottle is telling. It’s not the mystical element she’s looking for; it’s the companionship. And yes, the two actors are terrific together with delightful energy and chemistry to spare.

Another element is the history behind Elba’s Djinn. His conversation with Alithea becomes the role of the storyteller as he reveals his past. The stories include several instances of how he came into his dire and lonely position. The epic and more storybook moments presented here are, at times, intriguing and they are visually impressive. They feature tales that would feel right at home for a child’s bedtime reading. Yet strangely, they are not nearly as compelling as Swinton and Elba chatting it up in an expensive hotel room. Even still, some of the stories feature a little bit of action and adventure that Miller expertly maneuvers through.

The look of the film is more than impressive. Miller and cinematographer John Seale have crafted a storybook come to life. When The Djinn first shows up, he is the size of a semi-truck having to make space in a hotel room. It’s such a bizarre visual that every element feels like something you’d read in a fable. In many ways, Three Thousand Years of Longing reminded me of the Neil Jordan horror show The Company of Wolves. Both films present stories like Little Red Riding Hood or Aladdin and the Lamp, yet they are both given a more cerebral telling with solid visual elements. However, unlike Wolves’ horror edge, Longing feels more like a blooming romance with a historical feel.

George Miller’s Three Thousand Years of Longing is a beautiful experience. The film features excellent performances from Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba. While I appreciated the more fanciful elements presented here, they didn’t quite reach the heights of seeing the two leads together. At times, The Djinn’s past felt a bit slow moving, even with the occasional bouts of adventure they offer. Even still, Miller’s willingness to go all in with a fairy tale made for a more mature audience is a treat, especially if you enjoy the filmmaker’s journeys outside the wasteland. Longing opens in theatres this Friday, and if you are looking for something different than your usual summer blockbuster, you may find comfort here.

Three Thousand Years of Longing

GREAT

8

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