Three Thousand Years Of Longing: Movie Review

Walking up to the ticket counter of your nearest cineplex to see what's the next available show, irrespective of the genre, is an adventure I haven't taken in some time. But that's how I ended up watching this movie and it was an interesting experience.

 


This movie is so out of my realm, I had to read the title multiple times to make sure the title was as mushy as it sounds despite having a far more exciting poster design. I recognised the lead actors - Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton - which gave me confidence that the movie would at least pack a good performance. And I was right.


The movie is clear to establish its overarching premise early on. It's a story about storytelling with the lead character being a professional academic in the field of narratology, Dr Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton). On one of her adventurous excursions, the English lady somehow ends up with a trinket that houses a Djinn (Idris Elba). While trying to clean the glass bottle, she ends up summoning him into her hotel room in Istanbul. 


There is, of course, the usual contract wherein Alithea must make three wishes to help free the Djinn from his prison. However, her profession and solitary lifestyle of contentment have her cautious of the usual trap of wishes, while also doubting if the Djinn was real or if she was having another vivid daydream. She persuades the Djinn to share his story and how he ended up imprisoned in the trinket that she happened to pick up from one of the random shops in the Istanbul main bazaar.


It is these tales of the Djinn's past, rooted in different forms of love and consequential chaos through millennia, that make up most of the movie. There are fantastic visual effects that make for a great viewing experience on the large screen while some scenes of nudity pop up out of nowhere and just seem unnecessary. 


Alithea is trying to understand the Djinn while also trying to wiggle out of the wish contract. Her extreme caution annoys the Djinn to no end, but he is bound to her until she uses her three wishes. 


NOTE: The following part of the review contains significant spoilers about the plot. I'm literally about to let the genie out of the bottle.


The story remains entertaining for two-thirds of the run time where the Djinn recounts his history. But when it comes to the present, the story seems to fall flat and is nowhere near as entertaining or engaging. It felt like the characters were too smart and wary for the story to progress, and so they had to suddenly make them seem less intelligent for something to happen.  


As always, a story about stories failed at the same step as a million other stories: the ending. It seems nigh impossible to write an ending as good as the rest of the story without hinting at a sequel. 


'Three Thousand Years Of Longing' was directed by George Miller, the same brilliant mind that gave us Happy Feet and the Mad Max movies (new and old). However, the story is written by the trio of Miller, Augusta Gore and A.S. Byatt. It is based on a short story by Byatt called "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye".

To steal a summary from others, the movie is like a series of adult fairy tales that handle serious relationship issues in humans, interwoven with eroticism. In the movie, Idris and Tilda give truly engaging performances along with a wide variety of supporting characters well played.

Overall, I'd rate 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' at 7 glass jars out of 10.

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