THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING – Review

As the seasons march toward Fall, many begin to lapse into the doldrums, since the excitement of exotic getaways is set aside. Perhaps a bit of magic will perk them up, or as with this new film, a whole lot of magic. Well, one of its two central characters is a magical creature of myth, one that’s not unfamiliar to the movie audiences though really a touchstone of the fantasy sitcom “fad” of the 1960s. Now that really began in the “stars” with Ray Walston’s “Uncle Martin” AKA “My Favorite Martian”, followed by Elizabeth Montgomery’s spellcasting Samantha Stevens in “Bewitched”. And then there was Jeannie, of “I Dream of…”, played by the still dazzling (she reached 91 only days ago) Barbara Eden, an all-powerful but sweet sorceress residing in an ornate, rather small bottle. Now these beings are now populating TV again, though now they are called by their original monikers, Djinns (mentioned but not seen in “Ms. Marvel” and a temporary resident of the house in “What We Do in the Shadows”). And this film’s character is closer to those ancient tales, not as whimsical as Eden, or Robin Williams and Will Smith, nor the intimidating Rex Ingram of the 1940 THE THIEF OF BAGDAD, with a pinch of Burl Ives in THE BRASS BOTTLE. But a new element is added as he tells us of his THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING.

We’re first introduced to the human half of the aforementioned central duo by the narration of celebrated scholar Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) as she travels on a plane bound for modern-day Istanbul. She’s a featured speaker there at a storytelling conference. At the airport, she’s taken aback when an unusual-looking driver tries to grab her bag and usher her away. Luckily her escorts spot her and the cabbie vanishes. After a stop at the plush hotel, she’s off to her first lecture. Her talk is cut short when she spots another odd person in strange garb in the audience, popping up in different seats…and glowing. She faints and is whisked away, and after a check-up returns to her room. After her rest, one of her hosts treats her to a bit of shopping, gifting her an odd-looking, somewhat battered tiny ceramic bottle. Using her electric toothbrush to loosen the cap, Alithea is knocked backward by a burst of energy and mist. Opening her eyes, she sees a large, almost gigantic man in the room’s main space. He introduces himself as a Djinn (Idris Elba), the legendary magic creature of mythology, imploring her to let him grant her three wishes in order for him to ascend into the Djinn realm. Well-knowing the devious Djinns of fables, she’s hesitant and inquires about his past. The Djinn details his love of Sheba, his imprisonment by the aides of Solomon, his release many years later during a familial power struggle in a kingdom, and his time a few hundred years ago with a woman seeking ultimate knowledge. Is Alithea convinced that the Djinn has no trickery up his sleeves of her hotel bathrobe? And just what would be the wishes of a brilliant twenty-first-century woman?

Though many characters flit in about them, either in the “now” in “long-ago tales”, much of the story centers on the two leads conversing. Happily, we’re treated to the interplay of one of the movies’ most compelling duos. As with most of her roles, Swinton brings her sharpened intelligence to the “scholar” while still throwing in a bit of the “off-kilter” wit of her Wes Anderson efforts. Alithea takes some time to get “her footing” as the strange occurrences and images she sees upon her arrival have her questioning her senses. That culminates in her shock at finding that her “stories” are rooted in history. But she quickly hones her focus, curious about what this entity has to say, while never ignoring her logic and giving in to the “gift” (she’s wary of the Djinn’s “wishing cons”). As that truly larger-than-life being, Elba is at his most compelling and enigmatic. He’s ecstatic to be released into this era’s world, but he tempers his frustration over Alithea’s hesitancy. From the sadness in his eyes, we see that he’s eager to leave this realm, though he’s more than ready to share his long, tales of love and avarice. He’s often annoyed at these mortals, but he’s tethered to their desires. It helps that there’s no CGI or elaborate prosthetic makeup (and no body paint) to obscure him, only some interesting frayed pointed ears and his dark eyes under his bald brow. I should single out one supporting cast member in the most riveting “back story”, namely Ece Yuksel as Guiten the “genius” who prefers to learn rather than escape her prison of marriage (and punish her abusive husband).

And let’s give a big “welcome back” to one of the world’s great filmmakers who has dazzled us for five decades and has been MIA since the spectacular MAD MAX: FURY ROAD over seven years ago, George Miller. His keen visual sense hasn’t dulled in the least, as he uses state-of-the-art CGI wizardry to bring several ancient civilizations back to vibrant life. He also makes the magic of Djinn’s life feel both real and dream-like with several imaginative creations (Solomon’s musical device that sprouts extra appendages is remarkable). Plus the oversize Djinn in the first scenes almost bursts through the spacious hotel suite realistically. The “flashbacks” are so full of sensory wonders that make the modern times sequences feel a bit flat as the story stumbles in the final act. Miller co-write the screenplay with his daughter Augusta Gore adapting the short story by A. S. Byatt, which loses much of its narrative power as it takes a turn toward romance and today’s political landscape, feeling a tad “heavy-handed”. Still, this doesn’t lessen the “adult fairy tale” feel of the Djinn’s wondrous history and the superb pairing of Swinton and Elba. They and the gifted Mr. Miller are the true magical ingredients of THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING.

2.5 Out of 5

THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING is now playing in select theatres