A Hologram for the King Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

A salesman is stranded in a desert of self-pity & doubt while trying to pitch a new telecom system to a Middle Eastern monarch.

Genre: Comedy / Drama

Director: Tom Tykwer

Cast: Tom Hanks, Alexander Black, Sarita Choudhury, Sidse Babett Knudsen, David Menkin, Christy Meyer, Megan Maczko, Ben Whishaw, Tracey Fairaway & Tom Skerritt.

Run Time: 98 min.

US Release: To Be Announced

UK Release: 20 May 2016

German Release: 28 April 2016

The opening of this comedy-drama sees a fantastic take on the Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime” and sets the tone for this funny, yet unfortunately dull movie. A Hologram for the King is a German-American production, based on the novel of the same name written by Dave Eggers. The script of this tragedy was written by director Tom Tykwer, and the film has been released by Lionsgate, Roadside Attractions and Saban Films. I did not read the novel, so I can’t compare the literature to its adaptation. That said, this picture sadly doesn’t reach the splendor of Tom Hanks' other projects; instead, it just meanders in mediocrity.

Just as in the book, the plot for this adaptation revolves around Alan Clay (Hanks), a washed-up and very desperate salesman working for Reliant, who is sent to Saudi Arabia to pitch the firm’s new holographic teleconferencing system. Alan is going through some trouble himself, after having lost his funds, house and wife - who divorced shortly after. His last hope to ensure the funds for his daughter’s (Fairaway) college education is to sell the holographic system to the King of Saudi Arabia.

A Hologram for the King is a sweet and innocent film that delves deep into the psyche of its protagonist after he hits a low in life and reaches an existential crisis. It is an emotionally touching allegory about the human midlife crisis, love and globalisation, similar to Bill Murray’s Lost in Translation. The dialogues and scripted situations in which Clay finds himself also manages to be quite funny, having making me laugh and smirka few times. Although, the part I was most impressed with was the opening act, a smart, metaphorical dream that quickly depicts Alan’s emotional state, as well as the losses he suffered.

As lovable and delightful as this movie is, director Tom Tykwer completely missed the mark; the story in general is bland and uninteresting, a shame because Alan Clay is a relatable character, yet his life just ain’t intriguing enough for nearly one-hundred minutes of runtime.

Most of this drama revolves around the US salesman trying to pitch this new IT technology to the King of Saudi Arabia; his working routine repeats over and over again, with few to no deviations happening throughout those days. The few flashbacks are included are meant to flesh out the main character, though it disrupts the the slow pace of the story rather than adding depth to it. These aspects make this flick feel much longer in its runtime than it actually is. The abrupt ending also doesn’t help, making for an unsatisfactory conclusion.

The complete cast is energetic, giving exciting renditions of their personas, but it is Tom Hanks who steals each scene he is in. This actor is one of the most versatile of his generation, managing to turn a simple plus boring character, like Alan Clay, into a charming salesman. Clay’s business trip is ironic itself, since he is a person stuck in the past, yet he tries to sell a futuristic technology. The lump growing on his back is a metaphor for the burden of his past mistakes that he carryies with him everywhere he goes.

Alexander Black makes his big-screen debut in this comedy-drama, and he is brilliant! Black is hysterically funny and has great chemistry with Tom Hanks. He plays Yousef, Clay’s personal driver, who just like Alan, is a person stuck in a rut. He completed one year of college in the US, but decided to return to Saudi Arabia working as a personal driver/cultural guide for tourists.

Rounding out the cast is English actress Sarita Choudhury, as doctor Zahra. Clay meets her when he finds the lump on his back and seeks medical attention. He is immediately smitten by his doctor, however, the cultural differences don’t allow him to act on his feelings. Zahra is introduced around mid-runtime, with her character not being explored much, but it is revealed that she is going through some similar troubles as Alan. Choudhury doe a grand job depicting the female doctor and is believable in her role.

The cinematography for A Hologram for the King, by Frank Griebe, is really handsome to experience. The movie is generally well shot and lit, which blended perfectly with the palette of strong plus vibrant colours used to display the story. The few special effects used for the dream sequences look of good quality and are well implemented. The only issue I have with the cinematography are the flashbacks, which really distracted from the main story and at times got slightly confusing.

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Verdict: Tom Hanks’ newest comedy-drama is a beautiful, smaller-scaled motion picture that manages to touch its viewers emotionally through the cast’s interpretation and depiction of the characters. The movie itself is a visual spectacle, making a combined use of good camera work, great lighting and beautiful radiant colours. Sadly, it contains a bland story, and the message it tries to convey gets lost in the rut that the narrative is stuck in. While the audience are intrigued by the lovable and funny characters, they are left waiting desperately for something of interest to happen narrative-wise, and the ending is truly enraging. I will therefore give A Hologram for the King a 5.5 out of 10.

Do you agree with my review? Leave a comment below and let me know what you thought. Thank you very much for reading my review & if you are interested, I will continue my Batman/Superman series the following weeks, with Batman Returns.