A lonely scholar discovers a magical Djinn who offers
her three wishes, as well as his incredible life story. DRAMA/FANTASY
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Three Thousand
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I think we all knew this was gonna be a weird one. I think most of us were also wondering when George Miller was gonna follow Mad Max: Fury Road, and with what. This is a film about stories; their power, their intrigue, their significance in human history. It's also a film about love and the pain therein. Anchored by two fantastic performances from Tilda Swinton and Idria Elba, Three Thousand Years of Longing is a delightful change of pace that has gone a long way towards curing my blockbuster fatigue. After all, I adore original storytelling and films that try to flip the script.
In this film, we follow a scholar named Alithea (Swinton) as she scours the world in search of the origins of mankind's stories. We get the sense that she's lonely and has trouble connecting with the rest of the world. In Istanbul, she finds an old, neat-looking bottle, which she learns is the prison of a powerful Djinn (Elba). Upon his release, the Djinn informs her that he will grant her three wishes, but Alithea wants for nothing and instead asks to hear the Djinn's story of his imprisonment. What follows are a series of epic stories of love, betrayal, greed, revenge, war, and ultimately pain as the Djinn regales her with his life story. She is in turn inspired to see meaning in the world again. It is quite spectacular and visually stunning. The film's ending does get a bit messy, as you can tell Miller and Gore didn't really know where to go after the story sequences. But it does end up meaningful and reflective. It's a refreshing take on the classic cautionary tale of the genie, and Miller once again shows off his visual storytelling skills in a big way. |