A Hologram for the King - A Movie Review

The boss isn’t in today? I’ve been waiting for a whole week!

A Hologram for the King is a 2016 film about a sales rep who goes on a business trip to Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, things don’t go his way. Despite having issues with jet leg, failed meetings with the monarch, and his own health, Alan grasps this new world of culture.

A Hologram for the King is one of the most underrated films of Tom Hanks. Films about culture are very important. This film shows audiences a lot about life in Saudi Arabia. While it is a great drama, A Hologram for the King has one too many subplots of focus.

You can’t go wrong with Tom Hanks! Hanks is terrific. Essentially this movie would not be memorable without his strong performance. The film mostly circles around his own journey. Having a horrible case of jet lag, I liked how he woke up later and later each morning struggling to get to his business on time.

Alan sports a prominent message to all audiences that no matter how old you are, embrace change. We don’t get his full backstory but based on subtle hints mastered by the filmmakers, I got a sense of where Alan was coming from. He’s been through turmoils whether it’s his family, career, or himself.

Without the interactions from supporting cast members, A Hologram for the King would have lost its realism. Omar Elba, Sarita Choudhury, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Tracey Fairaway, Jane Perry, Tom Skerritt, David Menkin, and Christy Meyer were excellent. Overall, this is a well-acted film.

Two of my favorite characters that stood out were Yousef (Elba) and Zahra (Choudhury). The scenes that Alan shares with each of these characters is important to his own development. I liked Alan riding into work every day (the later he woke up) with Yousef. Being in a different country is a chance to learn about how others live differently. Unfortunately, Yousef disappears in the latter half of the story.

Women’s roles have various impacts around the world. Zahra gives Alan a new direction and vice versa. Although their relationship was a little out of the blue, I thought it brought out an endearing message about love. Choudhury was one of my favorite performances and now I want to see her in more films.

Tom Tykwer did an excellent job with his direction of characterization. That being said, I feel like the writers weren’t sure of one story to focus on which is why the movie feels scattered. The main conflict was Alan and his business team constantly getting turned down by the Monarch to show him their product. Aside from that, one of his important friendships that Alan makes is left in the dust. We don’t know what comes of this character.

Filming for A Hologram for the King took place in Morocco. Get ready to witness some beautiful architecture. One of my absolute favorite parts about films that take place in different countries is that it’s an opportunity to take a virtual vacation. Study every part of the locations shown onscreen.

Change is an important theme in this film. It’s a scary word, but that’s what life is all about. We all change. Habits, interests, where we live, but most importantly, you change. Sometimes we all need a change to get a better sense of our direction in life.

I recommend that you watch A Hologram for the King. It’s an underrated film that deserves more recognition. Tom Hanks easily steals the film hilariously waking up later and later, but also learning an important lesson.