Review of A Hologram for the King (2016) by Jim T — 13 Aug 2016

Fish out of water, lost soul, scared man who has one skills, sales, learning to let go and take a real chance, I like this movie. Regrets can weigh anyone down, and failure hangs heavy on the soul. The business world does not give a damn about anyone individual.

It is up to individuals, couples and families to find meaning. Corporations will not do this for us. So Hank's character knows this. The desert serves as a symbol for the vacuous nature of corporate relationships.

Decisions are made for money, and we compete against soulless agents, here they are from China. The movie touches too on exploitation in one powerful short scene of Filipino workers fighting. There are hints of larger social issues around him, but he's too lost to explore them or even have feelings about them.

What makes this film worthwhile is the mature surprising romance with life that arises out of the dust of cold calculating profit seeking.