A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING

Germany, 2016, 98 minutes, Colour.
Tom Hanks, Alexander Black, Sarita Choudhury, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Tom Skerritt, Ben Whishaw
Directed by Tom Tykwer.

An arresting title. What kind of hologram? And who is the king? Both questions answered in due course.

Something of the tone (both light and serious) is set at the opening where Tom Hanks as Alan Clay appears in a video clip advertisement, he being persuasive and everything in opposition going up in a puff of pink smoke. Alan Clay is a salesman and we see him discussing a project with his boss, developments in IT for a deal in Saudi Arabia.

The hologram (which we eventually see illustrated) is for communication developments in the Kingdom and the King is the king of Saudi Arabia.

Alan has had a difficult past, working for a bicycle company which then lost its local base with the bikes being produced in China, leading to work retrenchments which Alan had to preside over. He realises it was a mistake and this recurs in his dreams – as do scenes from his past, his marriage and its breakup, his little daughter and her growing up, in communication with her, communication with his father. And he has these interludes because of his flight to Saudi Arabia, the jet lag, the pressures of the job…

It soon becomes obvious to Alan that lifestyles, customs, business rituals in the Kingdom are certainly not those of the United States. Executives say that they will be present on a certain day but are not, say that they are in New York City but they are in fact upstairs. and King has not been to the demonstration centre for 18 months, is discovered to be on a visit in Yemen. Will he turn up?

What happens to Alan is that he enlists the help of a local driver, who spent a year studying in Alabama, Youssef (Alexander Black) who is a genial friend, has a girlfriend who is the wife of a rich Arab and is fear in fear that his car will be set up with bombs, has a loud taste in music but can be relied on by Allen as the days go on – except when Alan accepts an invitation to go to his home out in the desert and Youssef neglects to follow the notices on the highway which indicate that all non-Muslims must take an alternative route and not go through the city of Mecca (but they do, which does give the audience some intriguing images of this most sacred city).

As for the contract, his staff are put up in a huge marquee away from the main building, have to bring food each day from the hotel, and there is no Wi-Fi! Alan does get some help from a Danish woman who works in accounts, goes to a party at the Danish Embassy where all the foreigners let their hair down plus. In the meantime, Alan has to go to the doctor, is helped by a local woman doctor (Sarita Choudhury), has to have some minor surgery for a burdensome cyst on his back and becomes involved with her.

After some complications, the king does turn up, there is a demonstration of the hologram – but, as always, the Chinese have a better offer!

There is quite some interest in the characters and the whole treatment of an American trying to find his feet and his way in Saudi Arabia, quite a lot of local colour.

But, in the latter part of the film when Alan and the doctor get together (and quite a number of bloggers have questioned the possibility of this kind of relationship, especially a surprising scene of topless bathing), the pace of the film slows down considerably and seems something of a dramatic anti-climax.

But, Alan does find some possibilities for his future in relationships and in work.

The film was written and directed by TomTykwer?, German director well known for such films as Run, Lola, Run and his contribution to the mysterious Cloud Atlas, which also featured Tom Hanks.

1. An international story? An American in the Middle East? A story of Saudi Arabia?

2. The locations: Boston, the business offices? The locations for the flashbacks? Saudi Arabia, the cities, streets, buildings, hotels, the trade centre, the tent, apartments, hospitals? The city of Mecca? The countryside, the desert? The musical score?

3. The title, the tone, the explanation, trade and development?

4. Tom Hanks film, his presence? Age, character, the company and the boss, his skill in promoting, persuading? His task and going to Saudi Arabia?

5. The opening video, advertising, the disappearances in the puff of pink smoke, Alan and his style? The device of memories and flashbacks, inserted, his jobs, his fears and his health, the image of the rollercoaster, seen as young, with his daughter, wife, alienation? His father? The bike company? The retrenchments, his presence with the workers?

6. Talking with Kit, with his wife, the issues with his daughter, encouraging her? Talking with his father? The phone calls from the office and the pressure on him?

7. The flight, feeling awry, the jet lag, through customs, the hotel, the room, sleeping, waking late, showers, the cyst, the phone calls? The contact with Youssef? The car, his story about his girlfriend, the rich husband and putting bombs in the car? Talk during the drive, the variety of music, describing situations, arriving, – Youssef being snubbed at the centre?

8. Audience knowledge of Saudi Arabia, Arabic language, Islam, the picture of the mosques, driving through Mecca? (Non-Muslims not allowed through Mecca), the Conservative traditions? Roles of men, women? Clothes? Manners? Treatment of time, bargaining, lateness, absence? The contrast with the American style?

9. Alan arriving, his contacts not being present, the receptionist, putting him off, going to the tent, the interactions with his staff, the lack of Wi- Fi, food…? The repetition of the visit to the tent each day?

10. Going to the building, into the lift, meeting Hannah, the attraction, her inviting him to the party, the foreigners all letting loose with drinking, drugs, Hannah and the proposition, Alan and his refusal? Later seeing Hannah?

11. The cyst, his getting the knife, the blood, Youssef and the reaction, going to the hospital, meeting the doctor, her treatment, the talking, the need for the biopsy, the success of the doctor, the issue of anxiety, the operation, the Chinese surgeons? Alan and his contact with the doctor, in the room on the phone, her explaining the divorce issues? The contacts, the collage of their writing to each other, becoming more friendly, meeting, her picking him up, the swim, bare-breasted, the discussions about their children, the beginning of the affair? The plausibility of this kind of thing happening in Saudi Arabia, the meetings of the foreigner with the Saudi woman?

12. The chance meeting of the official, his studies in America, Youssef and his study in Alabama, going to the apartments, the squalid group and the fighting? The executive room, display? The bluff about KFC and of the shops? Alan being left there?

13. With the team, getting the better Wi- Fi, the food, the preparation of the hologram, the demonstration? Dave and his presence in the hologram? The demonstration for the King, the preparation, carpets and lavish? The King appreciating it? The irony of the Americans not getting the contract, and watching, the giving of the contract to the Chinese?

14. The back story of Alan, working on the bike company, the transfer to China, the sacking of the workers, the Chinese making the bikes, less expensively – this as background to the Chinese in Saudi Arabia and deals?

15. The affair, the character of the doctor, the attraction to Alan, vice versa?

16. His new job, the new apartments, in sales, and continuing the relationship?