Movie Breakdown: Three Thousand Years Of Longing

Pre-Screening Stance:

Three Thousand Years of Longing is George Miller with Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba. Of course I want to see it.

Post-Screening Ramble:

I can’t say that Three Thousand Years of Longing is bad, but it does feel like a film that probably should have been a series. Its story begins with an introduction to Alithea (Tilda Swinton), a very comfortable and content narratologist (a fancy word for a scholar) in Istanbul for a conference. While there, she acquires an antique bottle and during an effort to clean it she inadvertently releases the genie/djinn (Idris Elba) that’s been locked inside of it. Naturally, he wants her to quickly make three wishes so that he can be free, and she – with all of her “I love my life just as it is” energy – would prefer to not be involved with him at all. A deep conversation ensues.

A large part of the movie is the djinn recounting the various times that he was nearly freed, and Elba really nails the narration here with a vulnerable and compelling tone. Honestly, his noteworthy performance is partly why I wish Three Thousand Years of Longing was a series – I’d like to hear him narrate more stories. I also think an episodic approach would have helped me fully buy into Alithea’s eventual admiration for the djinn. As it is, it feels a little rushed, a bit unearned, and while I don’t think it makes the movie unwatchable (or anything close to this), it does cause the third act to feel abrupt. So, should you see it? Sure, especially if you love the talent involved, but do note going in that it is slightly under-cooked.

Three Thousand Years of Longing opens in theaters today, August 26.

One Last Thought:

Idris Elba strikes me as the kind of guy who probably doesn’t give a shit about anything, but there has to be some part of him that doesn’t feel all that hot about being in back to back mediocre releases (Beast came and seemingly went last week).