This movie was worth watching just for the Djinn's backstories. He goes recounts how he was the companion to the Queen of Sheba, but was captured into a bottle by King Solomon. Then how he remerges in the Ottoman empire during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent through the time of Kosem Sultan. And finally, at the turn of the twentieth century, probably before the fall of the Ottoman empire. Needless to say, I really enjoyed the depictions of each scene from the past. And it was also refreshing to get a story that delves into Islamic mythology, as opposed to Biblical mythology, which are of course similar, but with subtle differences.
But when we return to the framing device, it left something to be desired. I couldn't really understand what was the deal with Tilda Swinton's character. I'm really tired of stories where the character insists that they are happy and content being alone, but it turns out they were lying to themselves all along.
The conversation she had with the djinn in which she challenged him about the consequences of wish making on the wish maker was interesting. And I wish it could have been left at that.
However, at least the moral of the story wasn't that she actually did need companionship. Because at the end of the story, she lets the djinn go (releases him from his wish-granting imprisonment) and he visits her from time to time, so she mostly lives her solitary life, but has occasional companionship, which was possibly, a good balance for her.
But ultimately, I'm not really sure what the coherent narrative was, and I'm left unsatisfied.
But when we return to the framing device, it left something to be desired. I couldn't really understand what was the deal with Tilda Swinton's character. I'm really tired of stories where the character insists that they are happy and content being alone, but it turns out they were lying to themselves all along.
The conversation she had with the djinn in which she challenged him about the consequences of wish making on the wish maker was interesting. And I wish it could have been left at that.
However, at least the moral of the story wasn't that she actually did need companionship. Because at the end of the story, she lets the djinn go (releases him from his wish-granting imprisonment) and he visits her from time to time, so she mostly lives her solitary life, but has occasional companionship, which was possibly, a good balance for her.
But ultimately, I'm not really sure what the coherent narrative was, and I'm left unsatisfied.