Three Thousand Years of Longing
Year: 2022
Rating: R
Length: 108 minutes / 1.80 hours
When I saw the posters for Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) at my local movie theater, I couldn’t easily figure out what it was about. A while later, I saw an article headline that told me that George Miller directed it, so I figured I’d give it a chance. I had seen no trailers or ads for it, but I figured the director of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Happy Feet (2006) would have something interesting for me to see.
I found it a little ironic that this movie about storytelling was meandering with its own storytelling. Granted, it had three millennia to cover in less than two hours, but the framing of it felt a little odd. There are so many in-between moments in the hotel room that could have been used to intersperse modern life with ancient tales. I will give credit here to the somewhat unique nature of the plot, as the movies about genies or djinn are so few as to be counted on a single hand. Dealing with magical beings who grant wishes is a topic that felt fresh and grounded in George Miller’s hands.
Visually, plenty of this movie is a treat. If you can get past some of the uncomfortable moments of nudity, that is. The ancient times covered in the Djinn’s (Idris Elba) stories are filled with the fantastic and the grounded. Tying in lore from historical moments was a nice touch with just enough of a twist to make it interesting. Unfortunately, the chemistry between the two main characters didn’t strike me as particularly strong. Considering that most of the movie is about their connection, this is probably why I didn’t care for the “modern” moments of the film.
A pretty good George Miller film that misses the storytelling mark, I give Three Thousand Years of Longing 3.5 stars out of 5.
1/2
