A Hologram for the King

Could've been great, but there are clear shortcomings: 1) It's somewhere on a scale from 0 to kafka-esque, but seems afraid to go all in. It should've. 2) It becomes a completely different film halfway through, discarding the entire plot for way of boring romantic drama. 3) Tykwer has some filmic moves that just don't work, I like him but he needs someone to reign him in. I enjoyed no more than 50% of it, but what I did enjoy I liked so much that it tips the scales favorably. A bit of a mess.

This movie is an absolute mess, but it's often beautiful, interesting and contemplative in ways few other films are. Unfortunately, there's too much missing for it to be great or even good.

It's really slow but there are some good gags and some interesting subject matter. I don't really buy into whatever drama exists here, and the ending is weird; it's like two completely different movies and even by Hollywood standards the romance was abrupt and rushed. Ultimately entertaining but not enthusiastically so.

Gets along with some interesting aspects even though it's uneven and can't really decide what it's trying to say, I think. Ending was weird and a little unsettling.

watchable

Nothing on earth can prepare you for the opening of this film

eng; [a hologram for the king]; ein gestresster geschäftsmann will dem könig von saudi arabien ein produkt verkaufen - doch stattdessen lernt er dort die wichtigen dinge im leben zu schätzen.;

Hanks is his competent self but this wanders in its own little world a little too often.

88

There's no denying the ambition in A Hologram for the King, but a struggle does not add up to a satisfying movie -- or even a reasonable facsimile of the beauty and terror Eggers evokes on the page.

Eccentric comedy somewhat reminiscent of 'SYNECDOCHE NEW YORK' for its first two thirds, if lacking that film's daring, followed by a very conventional final third which attempts to too neatly wrap up the existential ideas raised. Thankfully Hanks' commanding presence keeps a firm hand on the film; his successful ranging from doey romanticism to slapstick buffoonery is a master class in handling multiple moods and styles with ease. Sun-drenched cinematography makes the film gorgeous to look at.

Slight, sweet and often quite interesting.

Weird but enjoyable.. you watch till the end waiting for something to happen.. interesting though.. like a semi national geographic feature on sausi Arabia

Oh, I was liking this a good while, then it got disappointing. Didn't mind the American-in-the-middle-east comedy routine. I actually hoped they were going to expand on that, making A Hologram for the King (2016) some sort of variation of The Emperor's New Clothes, with a fake future city project and all the entrepreneurs there just to impress a clueless King. But no. Instead it becomes a pointless romance and a shift in life type story.

Not quite sure what they were going for, but nonetheless it's an intriguing piece of work.

A Hologram for the King is a good movie, let down by a poor final act. Most of the film is interesting, funny, and close to being poignant. Set in Saudi, the humour is more observational rather than derisive, fostering a kinder tone. The ending not only feels rushed, but tonally shifted towards a dull romantic drama which is jarring at best. Worth watching, especially for Black's performance. "We don't have unions here, we have Philippinos."

When it comes from Tom Tykwer, I feel like I might missed some super serious meaning in this. Explain me and I'll change the score.

The episode where Tom Hanks gets drunk on "olive oil" is very good. The movie is a bit surreal as well as light, it feels like a light brush of sandy wind.

A rather inept businessman (Tom Hanks) goes to Saudi Arabia to sell a holographic teleconference device to the king. During the numerous delays before his presentation, he struggles with his health, befriends his driver (Alexander Black), and falls for his doctor (Sarita Choudhury). Very offbeat dramedy, often precious and neither as funny nor as resonant as it wants to be, yet not without a certain wonky likability. The actors do their best; it's the script that doesn't really come off.