“Three Thousand Years of Longing” takes the genie-in-a-bottle concept and turns it upside down

THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING (R)

As the summer movie season comes to an end, it’s time to prepare yourself for something completely different. This is a  movie that takes the genie-in-a-bottle concept–and all the tropes that come with it–and turns it completely upside down. This is an R-rated conversation-heavy fairytale that certainly won’t be for everyone but for those of you looking for something a little outside the box, it’s worth seeking out.

Based on the short story  “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye,” “Three Thousand Years of Longing” finds lonely scholar Alithea (Tilda Swinton) antique-hunting while in Istanbul for a conference. Shortly after acquiring a very old glass antiquity piece, Alithea quickly discovers that the antique itself isn’t nearly as intriguing as its contents; A mystical being called a Djinn! It seems that this particular Djinn has been imprisoned for quite some time and he’s looking to offer his new master 3 wishes in exchange for his much-desired freedom. What follows is a thoughtful conversation piece in which the Djinn (Idris Elba) tells Alithea of his many adventures inside and outside the bottle. As the story progresses, this lonesome academic ponders whether or not she wants to use any of the wishes at all for fear that a good thing will potentially turn into a bad thing. But she also must wrestle with the fact that not making a wish could be detrimental to the well-being of her newfound friend and conversationalist.

“Three Thousand Years of Longing” is a beautifully odd gem from the wonderfully gifted (and eclectic) Aussie filmmaker, George Miller. While Miller is most known for the “Mad Max” series, he is also the man behind the animated offering “Happy Feet,” the family-friendly pig-centric charmer “Babe,” the darkly funny witch-centric comedy “The Witches of Eastwick,” and the grossly underappreciated powerhouse drama “Lorenzo’s Oil.” Like I said; Eclectic. With the chatty episodic fantasy tale that is “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” Miller is working in the sort of fantastical, quirky terrain a filmmaker like Terry Gilliam would be perfectly at home in.

Describing a movie like this is no easy task as there are quite a few themes at play here; Love, empathy, and of course, longing just to name a precious few. What’s more, “Three Thousand Years of Longing” is about the power of storytelling itself as Alithea would be quick to point out that the stories she spends much of her time putting to paper have done a great deal to keep her sane in a world that isn’t always the kindest of places. Kudos to Miller, his screenwriting partner Augusta Gore, and original short story author A.S. Byatt for putting an emphasis on hope and compassion when this film just as easily could have slipped into a sea of cynicism.

Further props to Swinton and Elba for emerging as quite the effective big screen duo. For all this movie’s big-scale imagery–This really is an experience designed for the big screen–It’s the chatty nature and quieter moments between these two terrific performers that are most worth noting. In particular, I was really moved by their work in the final act.

If I have a gripe (or two) with this movie, it might be the pacing. I can’t help but feel that Miller may have felt compelled to whittle down a longer, more complex cut of this film to a more manageable 110 minutes. True, not every movie has to be some epic, drawn-out affair, but believe it or not, “Three Thousand Years of Longing” could have possibly benefitted from even a little more patience and a slightly longer running time. I’d also like to point out that while empathy is a primary theme in this movie, a scene in which a nude heavy-set woman is literally the butt of a joke felt a little contradictory to that particular theme. These gripes aside, I found myself really getting sucked into this movie. It’s ambitious and thoughtful, and I can’t say enough about the creative world-building here. Impeccable sound design as well.

While not necessarily a movie for the masses (“Aladdin” it ain’t), this is the kind of strange, offbeat, and thoughtful experience that might appeal to those who were bowled over by what I believe to be 2022’s best film, “Everything Everywhere at Once.” I’m certainly not suggesting it’s at that level, but it has similar traits. At the very least, “Three Thousand Years of Longing” is yet another intriguing title on Miller’s resume and further proof that even in his late 70s, this gifted filmmaker directs with the energy of a storyteller a third his age. We’ll see if his upcoming “Fury Road” prequel “Furiosa” will keep the Miller streak alive. I suspect it will!

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