TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2016 // A REVIEW OF "A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING"

BY MATEO MORENO

From the opening jarring sequence of A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING, you know that Director Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) is in charge. Tom Hanks, The Talking Heads, and a Roller Coaster are three of the bits that begin to set up this fish out of water story, which is based on the much praised novel by Dave Eggers. Hanks plays Alan Clay, a somewhat depressed business man who heads with a team to Saudi Arabia in a very economically depressed 2010. He hopes, and somewhat expects, to land a big contract while there and also expects it to not take that long. However, the Saudi monarch, who continues to simply not show up each day, puts off Clay and his team day after day. His people are little to no help and Clay seems to find himself in a bizarre alternate world, where people continue to say "everything is fine" but nothing ever is. He befriends a driver named Yousel (Alexander Black) who takes Clay under his wing and shows his around, as well and genuinely bonds with him. He also finds himself drawn to a local Saudi doctor (Sarita Choudhury) and who's support may just give him enough of a boost that he can save this entire mess of a trip.

Hanks is everyones favorite "everyday man" but he likes to go against the grain, and he does so here. He's not an immediate likeable success. He's down on his luck and a bit of a failure. Flashbacks to his home life and his factory worker father (Tom Skerritt) wonderfully showcase the inner workings of his conflicted self. Choudhury is charming and mysterious as the doctor he has an eye on. I don't want to give too much away, but she puts in a very simplistic and alluring performance. A HOLOGRAM FOR A KING, after a zipping opening sequence, takes its time in telling its story, but for those viewers patient, it's a rewarding one. And a very different kind of tale from Hanks, who in his second team up with Tykwer (they previously worked on Cloud Atlas together) continues to discover new paths he'd like to take. And I'm happy to take them alongside him.

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Tom Tykwer BASED ON THE NOVEL BY Dave Eggers STARRING Tom Hanks, Sarita Choudhury, Alexander Black, Tom Skerritt, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Tracey Fairaway, Ben Whishaw.

MATEO'S VERDICT: MUST SEE

FINAL THOUGHTS: Thought it can be a bit meandering at points, Tykwer's adaptation of Eggers celebrated novel is a beauty. One that may not be for everyone, but it is a beautiful tale.