Three Thousand Years of Longing

It makes for a deeply unconventional sort of fairy tale, but this is George Miller we’re talking about. What else did we expect?

Miller’s film is deceptively simple, but there is a tremendous amount of depth and nuance. Viewers will walk away thinking a lot about the film, and a second or third watch is needed to fully absorb the layers within its story.

In its loopy, beguiling, occasionally befuddling way, Three Thousand Years of Longing feels like it’s trying—and sometimes failing—to sum something up about Miller’s own history of loving strange movie magic.

It’s a garrulous, yet almost static movie, and weirdly for a film about narrative there is no single overwhelmingly important storyline.

While Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba give it their all, neither can save the film from collapsing in the third act. An unconvincing conclusion undermines a far better first half which sees Swinton and Elba waxing philosophical in a hotel room.

There’s something rather sterile and bloodless in the film’s approach, with its synthetic and soul-sappingly clean-looking CGI. Plus there’s the palpable lack of chemistry between the leads: a kind of brisk civility rather than the ache of eternal longing the title promises.

There’s more to life than just stories and really, Djinn and Alithea just need to get a life.

An absolutely fantastic film about love and longing. Idris Elba could really show his emotional range and sensitivity to language and situation, and Tilda Swinton was perfect, never setting a foot or uttering a word wrong. It was also nice to sit in an audience that was riveted and utterly silent.

An interesting concept that failed to go anywhere. The first half is interesting with the backstory of the Genie and some very interesting visual choices. The parts about Tilda Swinton's 3 wishes especially towards the second half of the film are pointless, boring and go nowhere. It ends up being a wasted opportunity on a unique concept.

Three Thousand Years of Longing might have been one of the cult movies of fairy tale cinema, but unfortunately, it missed the opportunity due to the slow pace and poor workmanship in the Turkish parts. It's not about the director that George Miller, who did a great job in the Sheba part, did a lousy job when it came to Ottoman. However, I really liked the director's point of view, which examines the difference between the present and the past. The fairy-tale-like narration, which moves away from the truth, is also outstanding. The conversations between Alithea and Gin are also enjoyable. But here, something went wrong, and the movie missed the point of being "that" perfect.

The movie had no character development or plot. Two great actors were not enough to save this stinker. No even worth watching on video. Inexplicable ending.

The two leads try to navigate through a terrible story that offers no character development for either of them. It's all flash and no substance, don't waste your time on it.