Three Thousand Years of Longing

George Miller delivers a more mature Hollywood fairy tale along the lines of "One Thousand and One Nights" with captivating visuals, imaginative editing and the charismatic Idris Elba, who, especially with his voice, pulls the whole thing on his shoulders as much as he can. But is that enough for the viewer? Three Thousand Years of Longing attempts to floridly tell an epic tale of humanity, inner desires, love and eternity, but it mires all these lofty themes in such a dramatically muddled form that it makes you dizzy. The whole time I had no idea where it was going, and when it finally got somewhere at the end, I was none the wiser. I practically don't even understand who is supposed to be the target audience of this conventionally told fantasy, because the banal plot and carnival grip can only appeal to children, and they won't get to see it because it has an R-rating due to the nudity and sex. While Miller may have surprised everyone years ago with his fresh and dynamic direction in Fury Road, here he almost seems like a fossil melting over slightly more intellectual bodice rippers. I really don't understand who it's aimed at, and I don't believe it will manage to recoup even a fifth of its budget in revenue. [KVIFF 2022] (07/10/2022)

Heavyweight romance in a visually appealing package. Old-fashioned narrative pacing, a charismatic Idris, and stories within stories of love and longing. This take on “Tales of a Thousand and One Nights”, also clearly Miller's heart project in the style of Terry Gilliam, it's a clean counterbalance to the mindless action everyone expected after Mad Max: Fury Road. This is more of a compelling movie for a date. (10/15/2022)