Three Thousand Years Of Longing (2022)

During a trip to Istanbul, a British scholar (Tilda Swinton) accidentally unleashes a Djinn (Idris Elba) trapped in an antique bottle she purchased. He grants her three wishes which she refuses to make because she doesn't trust him. He tells her three tales from his past which caused him to be trapped in the bottle. Based on the short story THE DJINN IN THE NIGHTINGALE'S EYE by A.S. Byatt and directed by George Miller (THE ROAD WARRIOR). A film that can truly be called magical. Miller balances the reality of the modern day conversation between Swinton's scholar and Elba's ancient Djinn with the fantastical forays into his exotic past. Its leisurely pacing makes the film seem longer than it is (108 minutes) when it felt like it ran past the two hour mark. Other than that, we're rewarded with a rich adventure that ponders the mystery of love without giving us a definitive answer (as if any movie could). Giving exemplary performances, Elba and Swinton hold the film together and their commitment makes the unbelievable believable while we're caught in its web. It's a pity the film isn't doing well at the box office but I hope it eventually finds the audience it deserves. With Aamito Lagum and Matteo Bocelli.