title : Top Movies - A Hologram for the King Movie Review (Spoiler Free) - Movie Reviews Sites
Link : Top Movies - A Hologram for the King Movie Review (Spoiler Free) - Movie Reviews Sites
Top Movies - A Hologram for the King Movie Review (Spoiler Free) - Movie Reviews Sites
article2016 Reviews,A salesman is stranded in a desert of self-pity and doubt while trying to pitch a new telecom system to a Middle-Eastern monarch.
Genre: Comedy/DramaDirector: 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
Tom Hanks opens this comedic drama with a fantastic take of the Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime” and sets the tone for this funny but dull movie. A Hologram for the King is a German-American production, based on the novel of the same name written by Dave Eggers. Director Tom Tykwer wrote the script to this comedy-drama and Lionsgate, Roadside Attractions and Saban Films released the film. I did not read the novel so I can’t compare it to this adaptation, but this motion picture sadly doesn’t reach the grandness of Tom Hanks other projects, instead it just lingers 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 him 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 this one hits a low point 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 in also manage to be quite funny making me laugh and smirk every now and then. Though the part I was most impressed with was the opening act, a smart metaphoric dream, that quickly depicts his emotional state, as well as the losses he suffered.
As loveable and delightful as this movie is, director Tom Tykwer completely missed the mark he was aiming for. The story, in general, was bland and uninteresting; a shame because Alan Clay is a really likeable character but his life just isn’t intriguing enough for a feature film. Most of this drama simply revolves around the US salesman trying to pitch the newest IT technology to the King of Saudi Arabia, though, his working routine repeats over and over again, with too little deviations happening throughout those days. Flashbacks are included that are meant to flesh out the main character, but these rather disrupted the slow pace of the story, than adding depth to it. Those aspects made this flick feel much longer in its runtime than it actually was and the abrupt ending made for an unsatisfactory conclusion.
The complete cast was energetic and gave exciting renditions of their characters, but it was Tom Hanks that stole each scene he was in. This actor is one of the most versatile of our generation, managing to turn a simple and boring character, like Alan Clay, into a likeable and charming person. Clay’s business trip is ironic itself since he is a person stuck in the past (as shown by all the flashback’s) trying to sell a futuristic technology. The lump growing on his back is a metaphor for the burden of his past mistakes he is carrying with him.
Alexander Black made his big screen debut in this comedy-drama and he was fantastic! Black is hysterically funny and has great chemistry with Tom Hanks. He plays Yousef, Clay’s personal driver and just like Alan, he is a person who is stuck in a rut. He absolved one year of college in the US but decided to return to Saudi Arabia working as a personal driver/cultural guide for tourists.
Rounding of the cast is English actress Sarita Choudhury, as doctor Zahra. Clay meets her when he finds the lump on his back, seeking for medical attention. His doctor attracts him immediately, but the cultural differences don’t allow him to act on his feelings. Zahra is introduced around mid runtime and her character is not explored that much, but it is revealed that she is going through some similar troubles as Alan. Choudhury did a grand job depicting the character of the female doctor and was believable in her role.
The cinematography for A Hologram for the King, by Frank Griebe, was amazing and really handsome to look at. The movie was generally well shot and well lit, which blended perfectly with the palette of strong and vibrant colours used to display the story. The special effects that were used for the dream sequences looked really good and were well implemented. The only issue I had with the cinematography were the flashbacks, which really distracted from the main story and at times got slightly confusing.
Verdict: Tom Hank’s 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 the narrative is stuck in. While the lovable and funny characters intrigue the audience, the rest of the story leaves the viewers waiting desperately for something of remote interest to happen 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 and if you are interested, I will continue my Batman/Superman series tomorrow with Batman Returns.
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