Review of A Hologram for the King (2016) by Rameshwar I — 10 Sep 2016

Comes across as a shoddy attempt at showing life in Saudi Arabia where the cultural differences are just your everyday stereotypes and all characters are played by non-local actors. The ever dependable Tom Hanks couldn't save the blushes for this unoriginal, lack of attention to detail and inconsistent script that lacks a head or a tail much less a body.

Alan (Tom Hanks) is a not so successful salesman who is visiting Saudi Arabia to present a product to the King with a prospect of sales. With his team not receiving basic amenities, his contact not being available most of the time and also acclimatizing to a culturally different populace - he develops a lump on his back which gets so severe that a doctor had to be called in to his hotel. Zahra (Sarita Choudhury) a recently divorced broad-minded visiting doctor attends to his situation and due to different coincidences also operates on him each of their visit making them closer. Alan also befriends Yousef (Alexander Black) a local cabbie who speaks fluent English and listens to rock music and they both embark on a country-side trip that has least purpose like the rest of the movie.

When making a movie either about a different period or a location, some basic criteria has to be considered like local aesthetics, customs & traditions, understanding how local people behave, talk etc. This one shows a complete disregard of this research and all characters are played by Hollywood contemporary and veteran actors. The protagonist doesn't even struggle with the language difference shows the level of understanding the script has on the location where the primary language of Saudi Arabia is Arabic. The receptionist, cabbie, doctor, his contact for arranging his presentation - all speak fluent English. Their local problems are very similar to the American white problems which is incomprehensible considering the huge cultural difference. The purpose of why the protagonist visits Saudi Arabia is shown in the first and last scene - no wonder he is a not so successful sales representative. The character Zahra of a female doctor in Saudi Arabia is one of the most ridiculously written characters I have come across.

Lacks genuinity, originality, purpose and basic common sense.