THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING - Review | Cannes Film Festival 2022

George Miller's latest film once again shows his versatility as a filmmaker for creating something unlike any of his previous films. An ambitious and bizarre fantasy romance where each aspect of the production remains just as strong as his other films. However, an over-reliance of narration from its bloated plot and the lack of a connection between the two leads prevents the film from being as emotionally moving as it wants to be. Its focus on how storytelling helps us perceive what occurs in the world and the aberrant presentation that comes along with it certainly makes it a unique film to watch. But a more condensed and emotionally-driven screenplay could have helped the film turn into the best possible version of itself.

Still Courtesy - MGM Pictures

A narratologist living in London by the name of Dr. Alithea Binnie (portrayed by Tilda Swinton) goes to Istanbul to give a lecture and buys herself a glass bottle from a shop. While cleaning it in her hotel room the following day, its top comes off and a humongous genie known as the Djinn (portrayed by Idris Elba) escapes from the bottle. He now wishes to grant her three meaningful wishes so he gets his freedom. Since Alithea doesn't desire anything, the Djinn tells her about his failed attempts to grant others wishes during his three thousand years of longing.

It's clear that a central aspect of the film is focused on the art of storytelling based on Alithea's profession and the Djinn spending almost half of the film's runtime reciting his past. They end up connecting through the stories that they share with one another revolving around their troubled relationships that showcase how much of a significance they have. The distinctive way that the film shows the value of storytelling is where much of its depth comes from rather than it feeling meaningless. Unfortunately, these stories tend to drag on due to the over-reliance on exposition for an extensive amount of time. As a result, it's harder to feel the intended emotions when the stories are just explained to the audience while being inconsistent for how compelling one is compared to another.

Despite the film suffering from connecting with the protagonists, it doesn't stop the actors from being very believable as their characters. Idris Elba playing a live-action genie sounds like something that could turn out horribly wrong. But after seeing the film, it's hard to imagine anyone else playing that role from his physicality to finding the right balance of acting subdued and powerful. The same could be said for Tilda Swinton since most of the film relies on the two actors exchanging dialogue with another in a hotel room while cutting to what happened in the Djinn's stories.

When that occurs and despite the flashbacks not being as compelling as they should be, you get to the technical aspects which are what stands out the most from the film. Out of Miller's filmography, the way scenes are executed feel way more reminiscent to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) rather than Babe: Pig in the City (1998) or Happy Feet (2006). His use of a higher shutter speed, frenetic editing, and a saturated color palette make that very apparent. As a result, there's always something visually compelling going on along with the lavish costumes and sets shown on screen. On top of that, the soothing and grand score from composer Tom Holkenborg truly compliments the visuals and epic feel of the film. Miller has shown that he continues to be master when it comes to collaborating with his crew which are really elevate the quality of the film.

For every great aspect that Three Thousand Years of Longing has to offer including its ambition, originality, and ideas regarding the importance of stories. There's plenty about it that holds it back which include its meandering plot structure and lack of investment for the characters. The story and its execution being very unconventional and hypnotic will certainly get people talking and provide a lasting reaction. But George Miller's potential cult classic still suffers from lacking an engagement factor despite having an urge to revisit it.

Verdict

6/10

Still Courtesy - MGM Pictures