Directed & Written by : Tom Tykwer
Starring : Tom Hanks, Alexander Black, Sarita Choudhury
Release Date : April 22, 2016
A story about a white American businessman with financial problems, who goes to Saudi Arabia with the job to sell the king a holographic communications system, sounds like an odd tale to tell. An adaptation of the novel by Dan Eggers, I thought Director Tom Tykwer managed to make what should have been a simple but exaggerated premise, into something very whimsical and fantastical. There have been complaints that the representation of Saudi Arabia here is not accurate, so it's best to also apply the "fantastical" aspects of the movie into that.
Predictably enough, Tom Hanks is very likable in this. While his character Alan Clay has his faults, he's still easy enough to sympathize with. Seeing him go through a series of trials and tribulations, made me want to root for him. It helped that his guide / driver Yousef; played wonderfully by Alexander Black, added greatly to the already humorous and off-kilter plot points. As it's often said, "expect the unexpected." There is also a whole theme about cultural differences that is brought up a lot in this movie, as well as some point of view opinions about the high stakes world of commerce, that all together gives us things to think about.
Visually the movie looks great, and there's an emphasis to show how many of the locations contains a contrasts of underdeveloped areas that are directly adjacent to affluent housings. There's a surreal and dreamlike feeling to some of the places and situations Alan Clay encounters, and that's part of the charm of this film. Although most of the surroundings are a desert, this movie managed to always give us something nice to look at. I also thought the editing was excellent and helped make this story move at a good energetic pace.
While I found a lot to like about "A Hologram For The King," there is a subplot that I really could have done without. I also felt like the movie's final act just limped across the finish line, almost as if it just needed a reason to end. It's still worth checking out, even if it's just for Tom Hanks and Alexander Black.
lovedit ENJOYED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible
