Three Thousand Years of Longing: George Miller’s present-day fable tells the story of the meeting between a scholar and a djinn. Unsurprisingly, given its geographical proximity and use of the traditions of the “One Thousand and One Nights”, it is a story about storytelling first and foremost, in addition to a cautionary tale of sorts about wishes and a romance. The film intercuts between the electric scenes of Tilda Swinton (the mousy scholar apparently all too happy to be on her own) with Idris Elba (the djinn who wants nothing more than his freedom), and the tales he tells explaining how he got where he is; it never ceases to be entertaining. Swinton and Elba are great, individually and together. The stories are entertaining, and where the fantasy flows more freely. Production designer Roger Ford creates a few fascinating places and objects (a musical instrument that shows up early on is a thing of beauty). Cinematographer John Seale lenses it all very nicely. Composer Tom Holkenborg’s musical score is eerily beautiful, matching the sense of longing that is present in the film.