We’ve seen stories of decent men adrift in foreign lands before, and we’ve met countless comedy sidekicks like Yousef, too. But stripped of the author’s knowing prose, this movie adaptation struggles at first. Eggers could’ve saved everyone time by just calling his hero Tom Hanks in the first place. It’s a story of personal growth with a troubled but likeable central character, a quiet satirical edge and an awareness of the wider world, not to mention a spot of middle-aged romance. All the while he’s coming to terms with the local culture and learning that there are other ways to live than the way he did back in Nowheresville, Iowa. Feeling way out of his depth, Alan befriends a goofy local cabbie Yousef (Alexander Black), worries about a mysterious growth on his back and flirts first with a Danish contractor (Sidse Babett Knudsen) then with a local doctor (Sarita Choudhury).
American businessman – and all-round everyman – Alan Clay travels to Saudi Arabia to present a new IT system to the country’s monarch. It’s hard to imagine a more Tom Hanks-y setup than prizewinning author Dave Eggers’ 2012 novel A Hologram for the King.
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