Three Thousand Years of Longing

This is a rare, somewhat delayed review for a film that released a little over a week ago as I was taking a much needed vacation in Cabo!

Luckily, there were pretty much no new releases this weekend + we had the "Weekend of Movies" (which feels new...I don't remember it last year?) where tickets were $3 at most venues. 

Three Thousand Years of Longing is a big, bold original film from the director of Fury Road (among many other films) that was perfectly suited for a "catch up" viewing on a Saturday early afternoon.

My theater was surprisingly packed (it was an 11:45AM showing!) likely because of the cheap tickets which - sidebar - begs the question if movie theaters should lower their ticket prices to get more butts in seats for stuff outside the MCU. I imagine there has to be some specific math that could be done to balance demand and price, but for theaters like the Alamo Drafthouse where food/drink menus are readily available, it even encourages theater goers to splurge on those items, just like I did with my delicious Buffalo Cauliflower bites (Alamo is the bomb, TBH). 

Anyway, Three Thousand Years of Longing represents a film I feel like most of my theater would have skipped otherwise. Having George Miller as a director or Tilda Swinton/Idris Elba duo likely isn't a "butts in seats" draw outside of movie buffs and the premise, while interesting, was vague in the exciting trailers. The resulting film is pretty delightful for what it is, and I connected with it and probably even liked it more than my final score will reflect. If anything, its biggest issue is its ending, which features no fewer than 3 "false peaks" where there's a fade to black, I assume it's ending, and it moves forward with more content. At 1 hour, 48 minutes, it's not particularly long, but I have to think that a clean 1 hour 40 minutes with the ending being much tighter could have resulted in the whole thing moving decently up on my Top of the Year list. That's not to say the ending ruins everything before it, it's just somewhat confusing, certain aspects of it are kinda dumb, and it feels like a quick, definitive ending would have better served the entire film overall. 

"So tell me Elba, are you the next Bond?"

Either way, the journey is better than the ending destination and at the end of the day, Three Thousand Years of Longing is a film about storytelling, which is right up my alley. The majority of it takes place in a hotel room conversation between Alithea (Swinton) and the Djinn (Elba) that escapes a bottle she buys in Istanbul. His story is a tremendous and tragic one and his recounting of it is mesmerizing. Much of this is thanks to a combination of Elba's performance as a perpetually trapped djinn, and Miller's zany imagination. While our affairs in the hotel may be less thrilling, any time the film travels to the past via the djinn's narration, we're treated to colorful, wild pasts that only Miller could create, creatively delicious and sometimes gross. The retelling of 3 key parts of the djinn's past are compelling and the film's best bits, even if the stuff in the hotel room is where the bulk of the discussion comes in. Throughout the winding journey, there's a lot to say about storytelling, defying expectations, and taking control of the narrative. None of it is all that deep, but rather interesting to listen Elba and Swinton explain. 

Three Thousand Years of Longing won't be for everybody, but I do think it has a broader audience than just "movie buffs". Its storytelling technique is unique, as is the entirety of the film, and it's something we probably don't get enough of at the theaters any more. There are ways it could be better, particularly with the ending, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying the journey in the first place. 

CONS

• Likely could have chosen a more entertaining venue than a plain hotel room for the majority of the speaking parts between Elba and Swinton
• Ending feels messy and dragged out. Probably consists of 10 minutes total, but feels like 30

PROS

• The Djinn's story is compelling thanks to Miller's writing and direction, and Elba's thoughtful performance (Swinton is good here too)
• Good pacing and editing, except the ending
• Moments of fantastic music/original score + good special effects
• Thoughts on storytelling coupled with the enticing journey of the Djinn is a strong core theme to anchor the film on

Rath's Review Score | 7.5/10