Search This Blog

Sunday, August 28, 2022

MOVIE REVIEW: THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING

 






















While attending a conference in Istanbul, Dr. Alithea Binnie happens to encounter a djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. This presents two problems: first, she doubts that he's real, and second, because she's a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past. Eventually, she's beguiled and makes a wish that surprises them both.

Director: George Miller

Cast: Idris Elba, Tilda Swinton, Alyla Browne, Aamito Lagum, Aamito Lagum, Matteo Bocelli, Kaan Guldur

Release Date: August 26, 2022

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance

Rated R for some sexual content, graphic nudity and brief violence

Runtime: 1h 48m

Review:

George Miller's Three Thousand Years of Longing is a lavish and ambitious fable that attempts to show the importance of storytelling.  Miller has lofty goals in mind, something that's fairly apparent early on with it's heady dissection of narratives.  His visual flourishes are wonderfully garish and impactful but the script is really where the meat of the film lies.  Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton carry the film's connective story with some solid chemistry together which makes the film work better than it should.  The collection of stories are a mixed bag with some faring better than others.  It makes for an uneven experience with the film lagging and perking up depending on the tale being told.  Its nature keeps the film from maintaining a consistent energy and flow in spite of committed performances across the board.  As such, the film ends up feeling much longer than it's actual runtime.  Additionally, the primary story between Swinton and Elba doesn't really connect the way it should even though it serves are the film's closer.  Three Thousand Years of Longing sadly never reaches the heights it aspires too ultimately coming off as noble misfire from George Miller.  

C+

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...