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A Hologram for the King

  • 2016
  • R
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
49K
YOUR RATING
Tom Hanks in A Hologram for the King (2016)
Cultures collide when an American businessman (Tom Hanks) is sent to Saudi Arabia to close what he hopes will be the deal of a lifetime. Baffled by local customs and stymied by an opaque bureaucracy, he eventually finds his footing with the help of a wise-cracking taxi driver (Alexander Black) and a beautiful Saudi doctor (Sarita Choudhury).
Play trailer2:31
12 Videos
99+ Photos
ComedyDramaRomance

A failed American sales rep looks to recoup his losses by traveling to Saudi Arabia and selling his company's product to a wealthy monarch.A failed American sales rep looks to recoup his losses by traveling to Saudi Arabia and selling his company's product to a wealthy monarch.A failed American sales rep looks to recoup his losses by traveling to Saudi Arabia and selling his company's product to a wealthy monarch.

  • Director
    • Tom Tykwer
  • Writers
    • Dave Eggers
    • Tom Tykwer
  • Stars
    • Tom Hanks
    • Omar Elba
    • Sarita Choudhury
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.1/10
    49K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Tom Tykwer
    • Writers
      • Dave Eggers
      • Tom Tykwer
    • Stars
      • Tom Hanks
      • Omar Elba
      • Sarita Choudhury
    • 206User reviews
    • 153Critic reviews
    • 58Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 3 nominations total

    Videos12

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:31
    Official Trailer
    Our Majestys Dream
    Clip 1:15
    Our Majestys Dream
    Our Majestys Dream
    Clip 1:15
    Our Majestys Dream
    Happening Today
    Clip 0:56
    Happening Today
    Hello
    Clip 0:52
    Hello
    Who
    Clip 0:59
    Who
    A Hologram For The King: Who?
    Clip 0:59
    A Hologram For The King: Who?

    Photos114

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    Top cast48

    Edit
    Tom Hanks
    Tom Hanks
    • Alan
    Omar Elba
    Omar Elba
    • Yousef
    • (as Alexander Black)
    Sarita Choudhury
    Sarita Choudhury
    • Zahra
    Ben Whishaw
    Ben Whishaw
    • Dave
    Sidse Babett Knudsen
    Sidse Babett Knudsen
    • Hanne
    Tracey Fairaway
    Tracey Fairaway
    • Kit
    Jane Perry
    Jane Perry
    • Ruby
    Tom Skerritt
    Tom Skerritt
    • Ron
    Michael Baral
    • Young Ron
    Lewis Rainer
    Lewis Rainer
    • Young Alan
    Alexander Molkenthin
    • Kid Alan
    Xara Eich
    • Young Kit
    David Menkin
    David Menkin
    • Brad
    Christy Meyer
    Christy Meyer
    • Cayley
    Megan Maczko
    Megan Maczko
    • Rachel
    Eric Meyers
    Eric Meyers
    • Eric Randall
    Khalid Laith
    Khalid Laith
    • Karim Al-Ahmad
    Amira El Sayed
    Amira El Sayed
    • Maha
    • Director
      • Tom Tykwer
    • Writers
      • Dave Eggers
      • Tom Tykwer
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews206

    6.148.6K
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    Featured reviews

    5bob-the-movie-man

    H is for Hologram. I is for Inconsistent. J is for Jumble. K is for King.

    In terms of bankable movie experiences, you can seldom go wrong with a Tom Hanks movie can you? While there are a few pages in his portfolio he might prefer to forget ("The Bonfire of the Vanities" anyone?) his movies are nearly all eminently watchable. And "A Hologram for the King" puts him into what might be deemed a 'preferred' character role for his acting style – an every-man in a strange land facing trials and tribulations with hearty American bonhomie. But here it doesn't really work, and it's not even Hanks' fault. Hanks plays struggling salesman Alan who is given a do-or-die mission to sell one of his company's holographic videoconferencing systems to the King of Saudi Arabia as a way into winning a big IT supply contract for a new desert city being constructed. Promising his bosses success, he arrives to find a deflated demonstration team struggling to put on a show with the lack of the basic essentials: wi-fi; air-con; food! Alan has to battle with both local custom and obstructive secretaries to try to save the day, helped by his driver Yousef (newcomer Alexander Black). Adding extra pressure to the mix is his marital status - Alan is recently divorced, and needing to financially support his daughter Kit (Tracey Fairaway) through college - and an alarming cyst that has suddenly appeared on his back. The latter requires the tender care of local doctor Zara (Sarita Choudhury, possibly best known as Saul's wife from "Homeland") and an unlikely cross-cultural friendship is struck up. I was really looking forward to seeing this movie, partly because I like Tom Hanks and partly because of the quirky Talking Heads "Once in a Lifetime" rendition in the trailer (which actually opens the film, and is great – I loved it). There are also a host of enjoyable episodic plot elements set against spectacular Arabian vistas that are memorable. However, that is all they are – episodes. Unfortunately, the whole film is a jumble of tidbits that never gel into any sort of satisfactory story arc: We have an "infidel in the middle of Mecca" scene, that suddenly ends without event or note; We head off on a wolf hunt that subsides into… well, I have no idea what: perhaps the denouement was supposed to mean something deep and meaningful, but it meant nothing to me; Even the main storyline tends to fizzle out to be replaced with an aquatic-based sub-story of inter-racial love. True that this romance is both touching and well done, but it feels entirely bolted on at the point you expect the film to end - it really doesn't integrate well. Blame for this must rest with writer/director Tom Twyker ("Run Lola Run" and the almost impenetrable Hanks movie "Cloud Atlas", which I must admit I never got to the end of on a plane!) I think Hanks should consider playing the "two strikes and you're out" card with this director. Hanks and Choudrey are fine in their leading roles, and the film really comes alive in the scenes between Hanks and Alexander Black as Yousef - his "driver, guide, hero!". There is really good chemistry between them, and although Black is a little too American- looking to genuinely pass as an Arab, he is effective and is probably the 'find' of the film. Sidse Babett Knudsen (from TV's "Borgen") is also very attractive and personable as the sex-starved Danish contractor Hanne. Also watch out for cameo's from Tom Skeritt and Ben Wishaw. But the acting talent - however hard they try - and the glorious cinematography (by Twyker regular Frank Griebe) can't make up for the erratic screenplay. This is a real shame, since the storyline around battling the adverse conditions of software demonstration abroad is a good one. As someone who used to work for IBM and did many demonstrations of this type in trade shows in far flung places in the Middle East, the Far East, Africa and South America, I have shared their pain, and it is enough to drive you to despair and madness. An opportunity squandered.
    6Hellmant

    I really wanted to like this movie!

    'A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING': Three Stars (Out of Five)

    The new quirky (and very bizarre) comedy-drama flick, from writer/director Tom Tykwer (who also wrote and directed the indie cult classic 'RUN LOLA RUN', and co-wrote and co-directed 'CLOUD ATLAS'). The lead of 'CLOUD ATLAS', Tom Hanks, stars in this movie as well. He plays a down on his luck American businessman, that travels to Saudi Arabia; to try and sell an idea of his to the government there. The movie co-stars Alexander Black, Sarita Choudhury, Sidse Babett Knudsen and Tom Skerritt. It's based on the book, of the same name, by Dave Eggers. I really wanted to like this movie, but it's way too slow- paced and uninvolving.

    The story is set in 2010 Saudi Arabia. A failed American businessman, named Alan Clay (Hanks), has traveled there, to try and make a business deal with a rich monarch. He's heartbroken, over a recent divorce with his wife, and thinks about his daughter constantly. Alan develops new relationships, during his business trip, as he desperately struggles to sell his product.

    The movie is definitely very quirky and strange, and I love quirky and strange. It's also very slow-paced, meandering and uninvolving though. Hanks does his best in the lead, and the supporting cast is all good as well, but the film is just plain boring (it's hard to sit through). I like Tykwer's other work, especially 'CLOUD ATLAS' and 'RUN LOLA RUN', so I hope his next movie is a big improvement over this.

    Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuGIEoCGrtw
    6cosmo_tiger

    This isn't bad but the caliber of Hanks really adds depth and emotion to this character and makes the movie worth seeing

    "I think we should expect the unexpected." Alan (Hanks) is a businessman who is struggling and who's life is falling apart. He is sent to Saudi Arabia in order to convince the king to use his company's technology. When he gets there it is not at all what he expected, and in the middle of the desert Alan begins to really discover who he is. This is a movie that isn't bad but really comes down to the fact that Tom Hanks is such a great actor that he carries the movie on his own. By that I mean that this movie isn't all that exciting and may not have been made if not for Hanks. He can turn a barely watchable movie into something much better than it should be just by his skills alone. Essentially his character spends his time waking up late and riding in a taxi only to be told that the king isn't here today. Over and over. The caliber of Hanks really adds depth and emotion to this character and makes the movie worth seeing. Very few actors can do that. Overall, an OK movie at best but Hanks makes this watchable and he is the real reason to watch this. I give it a B-.
    5abadguy44

    Can't put my finger on it......

    I am not sure what I was expecting from this movie going in. Now that I have seen it, I am glad that my expectations were tempered. This movie lacked the traditional intensity that a Tom Hanks film usually delivers. I can't put my finger on just what I didn't like about the film. Was it the fact that this movie couldn't decide if it was a love story, or a comedy? Or that the underdevelopment of the characters left me scratching my head. Or that the storytelling seemed rushed in slow moving manner. In any case, I was disappointed in this movie when I walked out of the theater. I was a little surprised that Hanks even took this role after reading the script. This movie was beneath his talent. Anybody could have played the part and done just as well.
    6redd0487

    Not a masterpiece, but enjoyable and easy-watching.

    It is a movie that you will forget very soon. There is nothing new and it made me fell that I was waiting all the time for something to happen. Also, there is a strange atmosphere in the movie, like everyone is plotting against Tom Hanks.

    BUT, once you understand that that is the goal of the movie (lack of plot twist, the strange atmosphere, etc.), it becomes kinda enjoyable (I wish I had understood that sooner to better enjoy the history). And I think the "strange atmosphere" is done due the big different of culture in Saudi Arabia, so that is a big pro. It have a nice photography and good acting, and they show a lot of culture of Saudi Arabia (I think that is one of the best in this movie. It's similar to a documentary, in that aspect).

    There is no strong comedy or drama, although they should cut some of the drama there, but, If you don't expect too much and want to watch something unpretentiously you can watch this film.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Filmed mostly in Morocco. Only some exterior shots were taken in Riyadh.
    • Goofs
      The passport stamp shows 09-25-2010 as entry date, however the visa on the next page has an issuance date of 07/09/2014, so 4 years later. Also, the stamp doesn't have the right design.
    • Quotes

      Alan: [in an email] Dear Dr. Hakem. I hope this message finds you well. Your skill made quick work of that cyst. So I want to thank you again. I've been feeling increasingly energized since the operation and I've already been able to transfer that energy to others successfully. The only catch is now I don't have anything to blame my problems on. That little growth explained everything, and now it's gone. I am sincerely grateful, though, I think. Alan Clay.

      Zahra: [her response] Dear Mr. Clay, even though it went a little harder than I expected, it was a simple extraction. Usually the discovery that you're not dying of a malignant tumor leaves most people with their spirits high. But you are not most people, are you? Dr. Zahra Hakem.

      Alan: Dear Dr. Hakem, actually, my spirits are very high indeed, maybe too high. I'm feeling a little dizzy. The cause is mysterious. But I have felt a strange new lump in my back. I'm no doctor, but it feels like a rubber glove. Is there a chance you left one? Sometimes people leave things like gloves with someone they like in hopes their retrieval will provide an excuse to see that someone again. Yours, Alan.

      Zahra: Dear Alan, I actually might have left something. I'm thinking a sponge? Or maybe part of a snack I ate during the surgery. I think I need to see you again. Perhaps out of the hospital? We don't want to worry your insurers. Zahra.

    • Connections
      Featured in OWV Updates: OWV Cinema Poster Update (16/01/2024) (2024)
    • Soundtracks
      Once In A Lifetime
      Performed by Talking Heads

      Sung by Tom Hanks

      (P) 1980 Sire Records Company

      Courtesy of Warner Music Group Germany Holding Gmbh. A Warner Music Group Company

      Words and Music by David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison and Brian Eno

      (C) 1980 WB Music Corp. (ASCAP) and Index Music, Inc. (ASCAP), Universal Music MGB Limited

      Mit Freundlicher Genehmigung

      Courtesy of Neue Welt Musikverlag Gmbh & Co KG / A Warner Chappell Music Company & Musik-Edition Discoton Gmbh

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    FAQ21

    • How long is A Hologram for the King?Powered by Alexa
    • What was the meaning of the two symbols on the door at the end?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 28, 2016 (Germany)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • France
      • Germany
      • Mexico
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official Site
    • Languages
      • English
      • Arabic
    • Also known as
      • Голограма для короля
    • Filming locations
      • Ouarzazate, Morocco
    • Production companies
      • X-Filme Creative Pool
      • 22h22
      • Fábrica de Cine
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $30,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $4,212,494
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,138,578
      • Apr 24, 2016
    • Gross worldwide
      • $9,169,507
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 38 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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