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Gladiator II doesn't do enough to set itself apart from the original. It justifies its existence but could have been better.
Posted in: Movies, Review | Tagged: george miller, idris elba, Three Thousand Years of Longing, tilda swinton
Three Thousand Years Of Longing Is Solid Return For George Miller
Three Thousand Years of Longing brings us the return of George Miller's fantastic storytelling to the big screen, though it is a confounding film to think about. Full of astounding visuals and great performances from leads Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba, the story itself completely loses itself at the end and leaves you very confused as to what exactly you are to take away from watching it. Nobody makes films like George Miller, though, so we should be thankful that we have it in the first place.
Three Thousand Years Of Longing Needs To Be Seen On The Big Screen
The fantasy epic begins when a scholar (Swinton) who lacks personal connections in the world releases a Djinn (Elba) from his bottle and is told she needs to make three wishes. As they argue back and forth about the repercussions of making said wishes, we are told the tale of the Djinn's life, which spans three thousand years, and those who have also released him from his bottle. We are taken all across time and exotic locations until the scholar finally decides to make her first wish.
And that is where the movie grinds to a complete stop. Before that, this film is full of visual wonder and the kind of storytelling that we all hope for when we walk into a theater. A grand epic, as we weave through the different periods and locations, we are swept up into the story of each bottle owner excitedly, all framed up by Sinton and Elba enthralling us in that hotel room. Without getting into how the last 20 minutes or so of the film play out, once Swinton's character finally decides what to wish for, the story dies, as prophesied from the beginning. There is just no easy way to make a wish, there are too many intangibles to think about, and that becomes the film's ultimate sin.
But what a journey before that. Three Thousand Years of Longing is Miller's best-looking film, and that says something about the man who helmed Mad Max: Fury Road. That we had to wait six years for this passion project is criminal, we need to get as much work from him as we can while we can. There are at least four sequences in this film that rival any blockbuster that has been released this year, and for that, not only Miller but cinematographer John Seale and the entire production and effects team should take a bow.
Had they stuck the landing, this might be the best film of 2022. However, that last bit of the film is just a bit too far gone for my liking. Even as Swinton's character realizes her mistakes and what they ultimately cost her, as she walks off into the sunset, quite literally, she is just happy for the journey she got to take, messy as it may have been. In the end, that is how you will feel after the Three Thousand Years of Longing credits start to roll by.
Three Thousand Years Of Longing
7/10
Three Thousand Years of Longing is one of the best looking films of the year, and a solid return from George Miller. If only the story didn't lose steam at the end.
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