Rent Three Thousand Years of Longing on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: George Miller & Augusta Gore (written by), A.S. Byatt (based upon the short story "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye" by)
Directed by: George Miller
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
A lonely scholar, on a trip to Istanbul, discovers a Djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.
Verdict
It's a movie that relies on the narrative, and this story engages from nearly the beginning as we hear about a Djinn that has lived throughout history. We see his mistakes unfold across all of history. The script is full of details that bolster the story and almost make you think a Djinn just might could exist.
Watch It.
Review
This is Miller's first movie since Mad Max: Fury Road.
The narrator opens the movie stating the story is told as a fairy tale to make it more believable. Alithea (Tilda Swinton) sees a djinn in the airport and one again later. Why? It's an odd coincidence that she buys a glass bauble that contains a djinn after she has visions. The narrator did set this up as a story, but most of this story seems to be told without embellishment.
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| Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba play Alithea, the Djinn |
The Djinn (Idris Elba) appears in her room, a giant that barely fits in the room. Alithea seems to take this rather well. She's hesitant to believe he'd grant her a wish, accusing him of planning to trick her or pervert her wish.
To gain her trust, the Djinn shares his past and how he ended up there. Before he tells his stories he chalks it up to being foolish and in love. The Djinn was first interested in the Queen of Sheba, but King Solomon wooed her away.
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| Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba play Alithea, the Djinn |
This is an engaging story as the Djinn relates one imprisonment after another. His problems and imprisonment are a result of falling in love. His fate is tied to theirs. Connecting this to known history gives this an anchor.
In the modern world the Djinn states humans made of dust have eclipsed the Djinn. Humans no longer need a genie to grant them wishes as they have everything they need at the tips of their fingers. Compounding that, Djinns are electromagnetic so the various satellites, radio waves, and cellular towers impact djinns. It makes this Djinn sick. There are a few clever narrative inclusions about djinns like that. Overall this is just a fun story that's a nice expansion on the old genie story that's thoroughly entertaining.
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