George Miller directs and co-writes (with Augusta Gore) this adaptation of a short story The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye. Tilda Swinton is Alithea Binnie a narratologist, she describes herself as a solitary creature, engrossed in her work. That work takes her to a conference in Istanbul where she is approached by a mysterious man who warns her of the stories of Istanbul. As she presents at her conference she sees visions of mystical figures in the audience. Pushing away the concerns of those around her she heads off to the market where she finds an intriguing bottle. Returning to her room, she attempts to clean the bottle but in doing so she releases its contents, a Djinn (Idris Elba). Now released he is in her debt and grants her three wishes, before doing so he shares with her his story of his attempts to be freed and return to the world of the Djinn.
The film itself is a bit disjointed and its messages are hard to pull out. There are stories of love, the impact of stories replaced by science, the risks of trying to dictate and control the future and the frustration with been unseen by those around you. But often those stories get lost as the film moves through its complex narrative.
There is also a charm and the stories are beautifully told and presented on screen as we move through the ages and the parts of the djinns life.
Tilda Swinton is watchable as Alithea and you’re never quite sure how much of the story is her own creation or a magical reality. Elba is equally enjoyable as the Djinn, his presence and delivery help you to buy in to this magical creature. However, what works less well is the relationship between them. You never believe there is some great love story developing.
The film is a little uneven, but there is a charm to the story telling and it is beautifully presented on screen. Elba and Swinton are both watchable, even if together it doesn’t quite gel. I did buy into its storytelling and enjoyed it but some will probably find it too disjointed to enjoy.
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