What’s it about?

Alithea is a solitary academic (Tilda Swinton) who encounters a Djinn (Idris Elba) that promises to grant her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. There’s a snag though – aPhens a scholar of narratology and myth, Alithea is familiar with every cautionary tale under the sun about genies and wishes, and so the Djinn must recount his history in an effort to convince her.

What did we think?

Peter Linning says: Three Thousand Years of Longing is two-thirds of an absolutely wonderful film. The Djinn’s stories are presented with a beautiful sense of magic and spectacle, while the framing scenes of the two leads discussing the rules of wish-making and the nature of desire are a delightful and charming battle of wits. The film doesn’t stumble in it’s final act, it’s that there’s barely a final act to speak of. The charming anecdotes and stunning visuals of the film’s first acts give way to a conclusion that technically completes the story, but feels too abrupt to be truly satisfying.

It’s still absolutely worth a trip to the theatre, but I felt like someone had taken away my plate before I was able to finish a delicious meal. 4/5 stars