Three Thousand Years of Longing
Idris Elba as ‘The Djinn’ and Tilda Swinton as Alithea in Three Thousand Years of Longing
The phrase ‘Jack of All Trades’ comes to mind when describing Australian director George Miller’s work. He’s the man responsible for the face-melting action epic Mad Max series, the family-friendly favourite animation about a dancing penguin Happy Feet, now we are presented with his storybook-esque anthology romance tale across a middle-eastern backdrop. I wouldn’t put it past him if he had a musical about talking pangolins or something so truly inexplicable lined up next …
A scholar named Alithea (Tilda Swintomn) accidentally unleashes a Djinn (played by Idris Elba) after attempting to clean a trinket she picked up whilst in Istanbul. The Djinn promises to grant her three wishes, but skeptical of any tricks that the Djinn could pull, Alithea first asks to hear more about how he came to be in that very bottle - a story three thousand years long …
If I could describe Three Thousand Years of Longing in one word, I would go with ‘sensual’. From front to back, this movie oozes lushious visuals and a soundscape of warm, brain-tickling narratives.
Going in cold, I was unaware that this film is essentially a dualogue intermixed with a chronology of different stories involving The Djinn, weaving his tales to Alithea in the comfort of a flash hotel room. Honestly? I am not upset in the slightest. It has been ages since I’ve seen something so delightfully different in theatres.
Idris Elba was so fantastic in this, that I would pin him down for an Oscar shortlist. He completely embodies the elusive but intriguing nature of a Djinn. The way he delivers his lines instantly hooks you in, and each story feels like a bedtime poetry for adults wanting to be swept away in gorgeous depictions of ancient legends. Tilda doesn’t have a whole lot to do until the third act, but even then, she’s brilliant (as she is in pretty much everything).
Speaking of the third act, I’m still unsure how to feel. Some will feel let down by the lack of devleopment and consideration given to Alithea’s first wish, but some could feel caught off guard by the rewarding emotional tugging delivered by the film's final footsteps. Whilst I got frusrated that every scene seemed to end as if the credits were about to roll up next, I was still enveloped and invested emotionally in the wellbeing of our two leads. I think this film has a lot to say on the nature of being seen, and our considerations being acknowledged - even if they are hard to reckon with.
Overall, I’m let down that this was a massive box-office bomb. We’re not going to get sincerly rich, beautifully edited, and weird films like this … unless you go and support them. So that’s what I call on you to do now: go book tickets to see this one. It’s going to be better than the two thousandth marvel film of your adult life.
