Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) Review

Title: Three Thousand Years of Longing
Year: 2022
Director: George Miller
Country: US
Language: English

George Miller's Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) is a magical - yet frustrating- film that strays from the conventional Hollywood Blockbuster by telling stories within a story to convey the importance of storytelling as whole. The trailers make it look as off-the-wall as Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022), but unfortunately this is not very mind melting at all. 

A lonely scholar (Tilda Swinton), on a trip to Istanbul, discovers a Djinn (Idris Elba)  who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.

There’s “no story about wishing that isn’t a cautionary tale,” Swinton tell the Djinn, as he then proceeds to tell very cautionary tales about the destructive quest for love, knowledge & power. This is the most interesting part of the film as we are treated to the ancient mysticism of King Solomon and we bear witness to the gorgeous Queen Sheba. The set design, costuming. and cinematography shines in these scenes. 

The third act is where the film falls flat. Her first wish completely defies everything we have been told about the sinister history of wishes. The chemistry between the two characters is completely void; they don't even look like they'd make causal friends. It's a letdown, which is unfortunate, because the build up to Swinton's first wish was so well written. 

Three Thousand Years of Longing has a different feel from the usual Hollywood affair. I admire George Miller's tenacity to take such big creative risks, even though I feel he was a little misguided. The majority of the picture is fantastic, but the overall package leaves much to be desired from the remainder of the story.