“A lonely scholar, on a trip to Istanbul, discovers a Djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.” – IMDB
As much as I can appreciate and even love arthouse films or blockbuster movies, sometimes I just want a good old-fashioned, transportive story. Three Thousand Years of Longing gave me just that and not just once, but four times over!
At the beginning of the movie we meet Alithea, a lonely British scholar who writes about how society has moved past the need for gods and myths. While traveling in Istanbul, she buys an antique bottle which contains an ancient Djinn, who offers Alithea three wishes. Alithea is hesitant, knowing that every story involving a djinn or genie usually involves wishes going awry. The two begin to talk and Alithea ultimately learns why the Djinn has been trapped in his bottle for so many years and we get to see what ancient adventures that Djinn has been involved in.
I absolutely loved this movie, I thought it was a sweet, simple, and straightforward, but extremely well done. Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton make their characters sympathetic and play off each other in an extremely charming way. The stories within in the film are so entertaining, that before you know it, the movie is almost over. However, it still manages to tie together any remaining loose ends and finish on a heartwarming note.
Three Thousand Years of Longing is one of those movies that I will likely watch every time it comes across my screen because it is such a delightful and yet digestible little movie.
Rating: 8 out 10 Claire Bears
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If you like this movie, you should also watch: Slumberland, The Invitation
Streaming: Amazon
With: Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba, Erdil Yasaroglu
Directed By: George Miller
Let Me Clarify 