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Film reviews

Three Thousand Years Of Longing Review

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Three Thousand Years of Longing is a film where the premise seems promising. That is because its trailers and ads make it look extraordinary or revolutionary. Sadly though, the storyline and the concept are arbitrary. The dynamic of the characterizations in Three Thousand Years of Longing is spot-on. That is because there are intriguing character backgrounds. I will say though, that the backstory to the film’s continuity is strange and twisted.

When the film begins, the concept of the Disney classic Aladdin (from 2019) came to my mind. It is practically an Aladdin themed premise taken to today’s world. With Idris Elba as the Genie type of character, his performance is brilliant. The film does display brilliant performances. It is just that the film’s labeling and backstory seems to have more stereotyping than a fantasy premise. To an extent, I felt all the blame of errors was being labeled onto Elba’s character. That is beside the point though.

This is the plot of Three Thousand Years of Longing. Tilda Swinton is Alithea. She is a scholar that is going solo on a trip to Istanbul. Her background involves research on life and creatures for reason. Despite her loneliness at this conference, A man that seems like a wizard comes into her life, and he is The Djinn (Elba). As Alithea is taken by surprise, she begins to grow close with the Djinn in deep conversation. However, her closeness becomes questioned as The Djinn offers Alithea three wishes. The three wishes are granted because of how she gave him his freedom from an art-type of antique. There are problems though with the wishes for Alithea. The Djinn may not be real. Also, with Alithea’s background of mythology, she knows tons of stories of wishes going awry. Three Thousand Years of Longing is a tale of curiosity towards wonderment of the three wishes for Alithea.

The three wishes in Three Thousand Years of Longing does not present happiness. It does not even have much elaboration on positive uses of the three wishes. The film tries to be more poetic than finding a fantasy with wishes. From this, I felt that the film’s artistic filmmaking is more of like a love tale than a breathless cinematic experience. However, it is not breathless.

Three Thousand Years of Longing may be symbolic. The film may also be a fantasy. As I have said though, the continuity and backstory of events keep seeming to be stereotypical. There are multiple moments where when Alithea tries to understand her choices, that she questions the harshness of The Djinn’s past. I just felt it made it look like The Djinn kept on having the negative label. The film may have tried to be experimental and surreal, just its approaches were off-putting.

Film reviews

Breaking Review

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Life can be unfair, and being in financial crisis to the point of it causing a mental breakdown is devastating on many levels. In Breaking, a film based on actual events, director Abi Damaris Corbin explores the irreparable damages that can arise from such devastating circumstances.

Breaking is about a 2017 event where Brian Brown-Easley, played by John Boyega, held up a Wells Fargo bank because was not receiving his disability checks. The depiction of Brian’s anxiety and of the robbery in Breaking is stark and surreal. The surrealism is heightened through the performance of Boyega. His anxiety is not only incredibly high, but it is also high for those he puts at risk—and for the world that is watching the chaos he has created. The crazy part is, he wants all that attention.

Breaking begins with a heavy introduction to Brian’s anxiety, his financial struggles and other mental issues. He tries to communicate the best he can to find alternatives or solutions to his financial issues. But with many debts and other stressors, he makes a very unfortunate decision. He casually walks into a Wells Fargo Bank and makes it obvious to bank employees Estel and Rosa, played by Nicole Beharie and Selena Leyva, that he is robbing the bank. He tells Estel and Rosa what to do quietly, but the danger rises when he tells them to alert the police and the media. Hostage negotiator Eli Bernard, played by Michael Kenneth Williams arrives and believes he can help Brian find a guiding light, but is there a light to be found?

The negotiations between Boyega and Williams raised several questions for me. Why is Brian taking the incredible risks he is taking? How did he decide that holding up a bank would solve his problems? What is Eli’s plan as the negotiator? The answers are concrete, but the situation is complicated.

he unpredictable nature of the situation makes Breaking invigorating, but tense and unpleasant in an exciting way. And given the seriousness of Brian’s decision to rob a bank, the film’s audience will know that there will be consequences no matter the result of the negotiations. Overall, though the film is an exhilarating and dramatic, engaging yet heavy, cinematic experience. Three stars for Breaking.

Film essays, Film reviews

E.T. the Extra Terrestrial the IMAX experience

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In 1982, director Steven Spielberg brought the world one of the most beloved tails that spans four decades now. E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. The film’s success to this day has an estimated earning of 792.9 million dollars, and it was one of the film’s to be in the cinemas for a long time of over a year. My first experience of E.T. the Extra Terrestrial was in year 2002, when it was re-released for its twenty-year anniversary. That is one of the most memorable cinematic experiences I have ever had in my childhood era of growing to love movies. In IMAX I felt more in-depth than ever before with my love for E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. That is because I felt I was coming face-to-face with the reality of the film, the connection between Elliot and E.T., but above all I felt I was more face-to-face with E.T. himself.

Spielberg’s use of directing throughout most of the film was shot at eye-level. This is because he wanted to create a more empathetic and connecting experience for his audience with the film. In IMAX, the eye-level footage is grandeur of sympathy and empathy. It is a mind-bending experience of many positive emotions. As Elliott breaks the ice in growing to love E.T., I felt I was feeling that connection of feeling connected again. Connected in terms of Spielberg’s use of directing to create a loving tail of one boy and the creature he be-friends and hopes to protect. Not only protect, but eventually help him find his way home.

In the film Henry Thomas is Elliott. A young boy who is troubled and introverted in his suburban California home with his single mother Mary. Mary is played by Dee Wallace. Then there is Elliot’s brother Michael (played by Robert MacNaughton) and then there is his younger sister Gertie (played by Drew Barrymore). Barrymore’s young performance still lives to this day of her brilliant performance at such a young age. Elliot’s life comes to a change when he comes across an alien who is stranded around his home. With Elliot scared at first, he begins to realize that this alien is not dangerous, that is someone just trying to get home. Elliot names the alien E.T., and then he soon has Michael and Gertie by his side to keep him a secret from his mom and hide him from the outside world. The issue that Elliot faces though, is all the press and government officials that are in search for Elliot’s new friend. However, as E.T.’s stay lasts longer than expected Elliott feels that E.T. is his new friend and that he is new responsibility. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial still lives to this day to be one of the most inspiring and loving films that the world loves including myself.

E.T. The Extra Terrestrial in IMAX is grasping. Fans will feel they are on the bicycle chases with Elliott and E.T., and they will feel they are flying as E.T. is bound to make it home. The bicycle chases and flying sequences have always been a monumental moment in cinema history, and the IMAX experience with the imagery being even sharper feels it is more enhanced with greater detail of beloved sequencing. Fans can even feel the sound of the excitement in both the suspense sequences and the connection sequences. As E.T. tells Elliott, “I’ll be right here,” I never felt more connected to this film. The giant IMAX screen made that cinematic moment of my life even more special.

Though, I felt like I was Elliott in the IMAX experience. I felt I was at the eye-level tune of Spielberg’s directing. I also felt that the environment around the habitats of Elliott made the world of the film a much bigger and vibrant place. A place of beloved cinematic moments bound to be revisited on new levels of excitement. Take the ride and experience E.T. the extra Terrestrial in the breathtaking IMAX experience.

E.T. the Extra Terrestrial remains to be a true classic. It still holds its specialty in being brilliant forty years later. It must be experienced in IMAX. Even if it is someone’s first time, they have got to see it in IMAX. The moments are even more special than ever before. Get on your bicycles, take the ride, and join Elliott in helping E.T. find his way home in IMAX. Four stars.