Three Thousand Years of Longing – Film Review

There is most certainly a magical quality to George Miller‘s first film since 2015’s Mad Max Fury Road – his genuinely ambitious and sprawling Three Thousand Years of Longing. It is without a doubt one of the strangest films you’ll see all year and one of the trippiest, and for that alone it needs to be admired and respected.

Sadly, though, the film never truly reaches great heights. It’s a good movie that should’ve been more than just good. Miller’s direction here is absolutely incredible and you can tell that he is a master at his craft. Nearly every single frame in this film feels as though it was crafted with such meticulous care and passion for the art and it’s infectious to watch.

It’s funny – although this film has quite a bit of flaws, it’s never boring. The script from Miller and Augusta Gore can be a little bit over-the-top at times and it frequently applies style over substance, but there’s just something so oddly endearing and infectiously fun about watching Tilda Swinton interact with Idris Elba as a genie-like character.

This is without a doubt one of the most visually dazzling movies in years. There is not a single dull shot anywhere to be found in Three Thousand Years of Longing. We can chalk this up to Miller’s direction as well as the genuinely masterfully talented cinematographer John Seale. Every frame is bursting with color and vibrance. There’s always something to say visually here.

The performances across the board are all terrific as well, but namely Idris Elba who does a lot of impressive work here as the Djinn. His character has the most interesting backstory and just when you think that, surely, he can’t have any more interesting stories to tell, he does.

Tilda Swinton plays off Elba marvellously, making for one of the year’s most surprising duos in cinema. This is an incredibly frustrating film, though. The story is truly nothing great in terms of its execution. It’s way too bloated and it’s a huge example of style over substance.

However, at the same time, this is such a vibrant and colorful movie with plenty of things to say visually. It’s never boring or flat, but it most certainly is frustrating. While this isn’t a great movie in terms of its story, it’s definitely quite special in terms of its ambitions.

Three Thousand Years of Longing often bites off more than it can chew, but it’s still a hugely impressive and ambitious film with two wonderful lead performances from Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba.