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THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING (George Miller, 2022)

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  • THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING (George Miller, 2022)

    George Miller's adaptation (with his daughter Augusta Gore) of A.S. Byatt's novella “Djinn in a Nightingale's Eye” takes a different approach to the legend of a Genie in a Bottle. As in the book, LONGING concerns a scholar, Alithea (Tilda Swinton), who accidently releases a Djinn (Idris Elba) from an antique bottle during a visit to Turkey to attend a conference.


    Alithea is a narratologist - a person who studies storytelling. Her knowledge comes in handy when confronted by the Djinn to come up with three wishes so that he may be free to continue his eternal journeys. The rules and traps of the granting of said wishes are bantered about by the couple, and helps guide the viewer to understand the consquences to follow.

    Another interesting part of the screenplay's construction is that, as opposed to most genie tales, it is the Djinn who is the focus - and not the wishmaker. The Djinn's three tales involve flights of fancy, including the Queen Of Sheba, that clearly are up Miller's alley. While the Mad Max quadrilogy are, by far, Miller's signature films, he is also the man responsible for the touching LORENZO'S OIL, the BABE and HAPPY FEET films and another magical fantasy, WITCHES OF EASTWICK. Miller and his production team fill the screen with intricately detailed sets and visions. Roger Ford's art direction and Kym Barrett's costumes are lovingly captured by cinematographer John Seale. Tom Holkenberg/Junkie XL's score is suitably evocative.

    Elba is effective as the Djinn even if there is too much narration and not enough actual storytelling going on in his flashback tales. The script departs from the source material in some key ways (particularly with regards to Alithea), as evidenced here by an uncertain final act which bobs and weaves about until finding a simple, if cinematically satisfying enough ending.

    Swinton has been likened to an “immortal” for some time, and conveys the mysteries of her character well. As the Djinn frames it, his mythical creature is fire to human beings' dust. Those ethereal concepts are hard to capture and make solid and real on film. Miller and Gore struggle with those celestial themes, but the acting wins one over, as does the filmmakers' bravura cinematic vision.

  • #2
    I need to get my lazy ass to the theater for this.
    Why would anybody watch a scum show like Videodrome? Why did you watch it, Max?

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Matt H. View Post
      I need to get my lazy ass to the theater for this.
      You should. It earns a trip to the theater.

      It is available for streaming rental now, and you can pre-order the DVD or Blu Ray

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      • #4
        Well, I made it to the second last showing at my local theater. It's gone now. It was so worth it. Absolutely amazing film; it's imagination and creativity is boundless. This is how you use CGI: to show me things I've never seen before. It reminded me of seeing something like Gilliam's BARON MUNCHAUSEN or Tarsem Singh's THE FALL for the first time. My only complaint is I wish it was longer.
        Why would anybody watch a scum show like Videodrome? Why did you watch it, Max?

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        • #5
          I didn't know this was based on Byatt's novella. Cool.

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