Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING (15)
★★★✩✩
Academic Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) arrives in Istanbul for a conference, armed with her passion for the history of storytelling.
She discovers an antique bottle in a bazaar and when she attempts to polish the glassware, an ancient Djinn (Idris Elba) is unleashed.
The genie promises to grant three life-changing wishes but Alithea has studied many tales in which these blessings are a curse and she refuses to accept until he answers her probing questions.
As the liberated spirit spins outlandish yarns outside of his glass prison, Alithea reflects on missed opportunities and unfulfilled desires.
Three Thousand Years Of Longing gallivants through time to underline a universal truth: love walks hand-in-hand with loss. Infused with hope and beauty, Director George Miller’s dazzling yet flawed vision distils familiar tropes in technically ambitious flourishes, and couldn’t wish for more lavish production design.
A slice of Turkish delight.
■ In cinemas Friday