Watches
February 17, 2023
A neat surprise. I'm not the biggest George Miller fan (which is an understatement). Don't care for Mad Max, don't even mention the Happy Feet films to me. This was something else though. Miller comes with an inspired mix of fantasy and romance and even though the finale is a bit disappointing, the rest of the film is well worth exploring.
On a trip to Istanbul, a literary scholar buys a little bottle that holds a djinn. She's granted three wishes for freeing him, but her background in mythology makes her weary of the outcome. She wants to have a good conversation with the djinn first, so he tells her how he ended up in her hotel room.
The fantasy elements are pretty explicit but stylish, the cinematography is lovely throughout and the premise is fun and quirky. The story does start to wane in the final third, but not so much that it drags the rest of the film down. Miller shows he has talent, I just wish he'd show it more often.