A Hologram for the King

Based on the book by Dave Eggers, A Hologram for the King follows struggling businessman Alan Clay (Tom Hanks) as he arrives in the Middle East to pitch an expensive new technology to a wealthy monarch. It’s a low-key premise that’s employed to thoroughly (and consistently) subdued effect by writer/director Tom Tykwer, as the filmmaker, for the most part, remains true to the internal nature of Eggers’ lackadaisical novel – with the uneventful narrative augmented by a series of backstory-building flashbacks. There’s little doubt, then, that A Hologram for the King‘s success, however mild it may be, is due almost entirely to Hanks’ superb turn as the beleaguered protagonist, as Hanks effectively manages to capture Alan’s desperation without sacrificing the natural, inherent charisma for which the actor’s known. The almost episodic bent of Tykwer’s screenplay ensures, perhaps predictably, that the movie boasts a rather hit-and-miss sort of feel, with the director’s strong handle on the material ensuring that A Hologram for the King is nevertheless impressively cohesive for the duration of its appreciatively (and appropriately) brisk running time – although, regrettably, the movie’s final stretch doesn’t quite contain the emotional resonance one might’ve anticipated.

*** out of ****