Movies: Steven Spielberg Celebrates Press Freedom With “The Post”

Variety raves that Steven Spielberg's The Post, “Pulses ahead like a detective yarn for news junkies, one that crackles with present-day parallels.”

USA Today declares, “The Post is an inspirational reminder of the importance of a free press while unabashedly making journalism look like the most awesome job ever.”

And Rolling Stone praises, “Spielberg's tense, terrific new drama, with Streep and Hanks at their finest, celebrates the passionate bond between a free press and every thinking human being.”
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Movies: Tom Hanks Exposes The Truth In Real-Life Thriller “The Post”

Back-to-back Oscar Best Actor Tom Hanks stars in Universal Pictures' The Post as Ben Bradlee, the quintessential, no-nonsense newsman—hard-charging, tenacious and fiercely independent.

Marking their historic, first-ever on-screen collaboration, Steven Spielberg directs Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in The Post, a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership between The Washington Post’s Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, and editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), as they race to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades and four U.S. Presidents. The two must overcome their differences as they risk their careers – and their very freedom – to help bring long-buried truths to light.

For Tom Hanks, who is also a writer, exploring the full complexity of Bradlee’s world was up there with his most gratifying challenges. He dove into research, going to personal sources as much as he could. “There's a lot of information on Ben Bradlee out there, not the least of which comes from his autobiography,” notes Hanks. “There’s tons of interview footage, but most importantly there are dozens of people who worked with him who I was able to talk to, including his wife Sally Quinn. We talked about who he was, why she loved him and what he was giving himself over to at The Post. Eventually I found and heard so much material on Ben that I was actually frustrated because I couldn’t put it all in the movie.”

Movies: Streep-Hanks-Spielberg Team-Up “The Post” Gets First Trailer

Universal Pictures has just released the first official trailer for the The Post, the first film collaboration between cinema giants Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.

Watch the trailer at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uipmoviesph/videos/1764594256948300/
YouTube: https://youtu.be/VgNWZSAVDgc

Steven Spielberg directs Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in The Post, a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership between The Washington Post’s Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, and editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), as they race to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades and four U.S. Presidents. The two must overcome their differences as they risk their careers – and their very freedom – to help bring long-buried truths to light.

The Post marks the first time Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have collaborated on a project. In addition to directing, Spielberg produces along with Amy Pascal and Kristie Macosko Krieger. The script was written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer, and the film features an acclaimed ensemble cast including Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Jesse Plemons, Matthew Rhys, Michael Stuhlbarg, Bradley Whitford and Zach Woods.

In Philippine cinemas January 2018, The Post is distributed in the Philippines by United International Picture

Movies: Emma Watson And Tom Hanks Star In Modern Thriller “The Circle”

Tom Hanks and Emma Watson star in “The Circle,” set in the not-too-distant future where privacy becomes criminal and we are forced to confront ourselves on the price we have to pay for knowledge.

In the future, would you be a better version of yourself if you knew you were being watched 24 hours a day? What would the implications be of a transparent society? There are people that we want to be transparent – our celebrities, our criminals – for our own voyeuristic pleasure, or our safety – and others of whom we feel entitled to demand their transparency – our elected officials, our law enforcement.  Where is the line? The concept of totalitarianism is historically thought of as a construct that would be forced upon us – but what if we are complicit, even unwittingly, in our own oppression?

When Mae (Emma Watson) is hired to work for The Circle, the world’s largest and most powerful tech and social media company, she sees it as the opportunity of a lifetime. As she rises through the ranks, she is encouraged by the company’s charismatic founder, Eamon Bailey (Tom Hanks), to engage in a groundbreaking experiment that pushes the boundaries of privacy, ethics, and ultimately her personal freedom. Her participation in the experiment, and her every decision begin to affect the lives and future of her friends, family and that of humanity.

The film also stars John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and Patton Oswalt (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,” “The Goldbergs”) as the company’s other founders. Bill Paxton (Edge of Tomorrow, “Big Love”, Titanic) and Glenne Headly (Don Juan, Mr. Holland’s Opus) play Mae’s parents.  Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Big Short) plays Annie, Mae’s best friend.

The film is directed by James Ponsoldt (“Master of None”, The End of the Tour, The Spectacular Now) with a screenplay by James Ponsoldt and Dave Eggers, based on Eggers’ novel.

“The Circle” opens May 3 in cinemas from Pioneer Films.

Movies: AS ROBERT LANGDON, TOM HANKS MUST RECOVER HIS MEMORIES IN “INFERNO”

American legend Tom Hanks returns in one of his signature roles as the quick-thinking and resourceful symbologist Robert Langdon, in Columbia Pictures' new suspense thriller, Inferno.

Academy Award® winner Ron Howard directs the latest bestseller in author Dan Brown's billion-dollar Robert Langdon series, Inferno, which finds the famous symbologist on a trail of clues tied to the great Dante himself. When Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Sienna Brooks, a doctor he hopes will help him recover his memories. Together, they race across Europe and against the clock to stop a madman from unleashing a global virus that would wipe out half of the world's population.

Hanks explains the enduring attraction of the franchise. “There is something Dan Brown has figured out – everybody likes a good puzzle, especially one you can actually figure out the clues to one at a time and solve,” he says. “These movies give that to the audience – it is almost an interactive film, and it has been like that since The Da Vinci Code.”

Borrowing its title from Dante’s masterwork, the Latin word for Hell, Inferno has the added component of a psychological thriller. Hanks explains, “Hell for Langdon in the movie is both a state of mind and a very physical experience because he is wracked with pain in his head and he is tortured by the fact he is ignorant of the reasons why.”

Ron Howard says the Robert Langdon role fits Tom Hanks like a glove. “Part of the reason everybody loves Tom in this role is that, in real life, he is Robert Langdon,” says Howard. “Both are driven by curiosity, share a dry sense of humor, and are men who, when faced with a puzzle, are like a dog with a bone – they are fascinated by the world around them and have the wonderful kind of mind that is able to decode it. And that’s all on top of the fact that he’s one of the best actors of our generation.”

Hanks enjoys returning time and again to the role of Robert Langdon because there’s nothing quite like unraveling a riddle. “Dan Brown created a character that can always be called into play: there’s always going to be a mystery worth analyzing,” he says. “These movies are fun and you learn something.”

Furthermore, Hanks says that Inferno marks a major point of departure for the character. “He usually knows everything there is to know about symbols, art, history, architecture, politics, and geopolitical cultures. But when the movie starts, he has no idea where he is or why,” says Hanks. “He goes to Venice, Florence and Istanbul – places he is supposed to know backwards and forwards, but he doesn’t. The mystery starts immediately – how did he get amnesia? Why is he here?”

Opening across the Philippines on Oct. 12, “Inferno” is distributed by Columbia Pictures in the Philippines, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Movies: “INFERNO” STARS FEATURED IN SPECIAL CHARACTER POSTERS

As “Inferno” approaches its October 12 opening across the Philippines, Columbia Pictures has revealed individual character posters for its principal cast led by Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon.

Once again, the international setting of the tale Dan Brown has spun offered the filmmakers a chance to surround Hanks with a cast of global actors: the British Felicity Jones as Sienna Brooks; US actor Ben Foster as the the bioengineer Bertrand Zobrist; French actor Omar Sy as Christoph Bouchard; and Indian star Irrfan Khan as Harry Sims.

“One of the thrilling aspects of a Dan Brown story is that the international setting truly offers the opportunity to cast the best person for the role, regardless of their nationality,” says producer Brian Grazer. “It’s important and necessary, because one of the ways Ron is telling the story of Langdon’s global adventure is in surrounding him with a cast that looks and sounds like the entire world.”

Academy Award® winner Ron Howard returns to direct the latest bestseller in Dan Brown’s (Da Vinci Code) billion-dollar Robert Langdon series, Inferno, which finds the famous symbologist (again played by Tom Hanks) on a trail of clues tied to the great Dante himself. When Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones), a doctor he hopes will help him recover his memories. Together, they race across Europe and against the clock to stop a madman from unleashing a global virus that would wipe out half of the world’s population.

“Inferno” is distributed by Columbia Pictures in the Philippines, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. #InfernoMovie

Movies: “INFERNO” MARKS ROBERT LANGDON TRILOGY FOR RON HOWARD

Ron Howard has been the keeper of the cinematic legacy of Dan Brown’s best selling books for many years now – he made the hugely successful The Da Vinci Code back in 2006 followed, three years later, by Angels & Demons.

Each one, says Howard, has presented its own unique opportunities and the latest in the franchise – Columbia Pictures' Inferno was, at least in that regard, exactly the same as its illustrious predecessors.

“These films are hard work,” he says. “And you feel a lot of responsibility because they’re books that people love. But you know, they really are thrilling life experiences.”

Inferno finds the famous symbologist (again played by Tom Hanks) on a trail of clues tied to the great Dante himself. When Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones), a doctor he hopes will help him recover his memories.  Together, they race across Europe and against the clock to stop a madman from unleashing a global virus that would wipe out half of the world’s population.

Inferno is the most visually stylistic film in the series so far, with a series of cryptic dream sequences that take audiences inside Langdon’s head and lend an entirely different feel than previous installments. That is precisely what draws director Ron Howard to this series – out of 23 feature films made over more than three decades as a director, the only sequels he has chosen to helm are Angels & Demons and now Inferno.

“There have been characters that I love as much as I love Robert Langdon, but I always want to push myself to do something different. It’s more interesting than repeating yourself,” Howard explains. “But that’s what’s so great about the movies based on Dan Brown’s books – each of them is so different, and he explores such different themes in each adventure. Inferno is the most stylistically different yet. With this series, I get to go back and revisit a character I love while continuing to push myself in new directions.”

In the film, Langdon must make sense of clues relating to Dante’s epic poem. Howard explains, “Langdon’s hallucinating mind is tormented by a man obsessed with Dante. He’s forced to pick up the pieces and make sense of this clue path that’s been laid before him.”

Inferno, says Howard, is a movie that will both entertain and provoke discussion. “The Dan Brown stories combine these button-pushing ideas that offer the audience two things; there’s the tempo, the pace, there’s the clue path and there’s this feeling that you’re going to have something to talk about when the movie is over.”

Opening across the Philippines on Oct. 12, “Inferno” is distributed by Columbia Pictures in the Philippines, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Movies: “INFERNO” TO BE RELEASED IN IMAX CINEMAS IN THE PHILIPPINES OCT 12

Sony Pictures Entertainment, IMAX Corporation and Imagine Entertainment has announced that “Inferno,” the latest film in the Dan Brown (“The Da Vinci Code”) franchise, will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® format

The film, starring Tom Hanks as Dr. Robert Langdon and directed by Ron Howard, will be released into IMAX® theatres worldwide (including the Philippines), coinciding with the film's general release date on October 12^th.

(Watch the “Inferno” Vignette “Langdon's Super Power” at https://youtu.be/gX2mXN7qKK4.)

“Inferno” continues the $1.2 billion franchise, following the hits “The Da Vinci Code” and “Angels & Demons.”

"Dan Brown's Robert Langdon is back, and `Inferno' is his most thrilling adventure yet with the patented Dan Brown twists and turns," said Rory Bruer, president of Worldwide Distribution for Sony Pictures. "We've had an extraordinary response to the film from audiences – it's testing extremely well. Ron Howard has made `Inferno' the most visually stylistic film in the series so far, with intense action sequences and cryptic dream sequences that will have audiences wanting to experience this film in IMAX."

"Beginning with the very first IMAX DMR® release—“Apollo 13”—IMAX and Ron Howard, along with the support of our partners at Imagine Entertainment, have created a longstanding and successful tradition of bringing awe-inspiring entertainment to movie-goers around the globe," said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. "Together with our friends and colleagues at Sony, we are excited to continue that legacy with Dan Brown's latest franchise installment Inferno, which is sure to thrill audiences when it launches this fall in IMAX® theatres worldwide."

The IMAX® release of “Inferno” will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

Academy Award® winner Ron Howard returns to direct the latest bestseller in Dan Brown's billion-dollar Robert Langdon series, “Inferno,” which finds the famous symbologist on a trail of clues tied to the great Dante himself. When Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones), a doctor he hopes will help him recover his memories. Together, they race across Europe and against the clock to stop a madman from unleashing a global virus that would wipe out half of the world's population. The film's screenplay is by David Koepp, based upon the novel by Dan Brown. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard are the producers.

“Inferno” is distributed by Columbia Pictures in the Philippines, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Movie Review: Sully

The weekend I was planning to write my review for Sully was the weekend I watched my Lola (Paul's grandmother) pass away in the Emergency Room, in the days that followed I found it difficult to finish writing-anything. 

You see, for those of you who don't know, we live with Lola and over the years I've developed the habit of checking how she's doing whenever I go up and down the stairs, our room is up the stairs while Lola's is by the foot of the stairs. 

Even until now I still keep on looking into her room but now all I see is an empty bed and I'm filled with sadness every time. 

The day we laid her to rest, we were hit by a truck on the way to have lunch with the family. Paul was also due to cover a wedding right after. Becasue of the accident we missed covering the preps but still made it in time for the ceremony. Thankfully the bride and groom were very understanding. So yes, this last week has not been my favorite. 

Writing has always been a way of healing for me, whenever I felt lost, and maybe I'll proceed with my pending movie reviews with that thought in mind.

I can still actually remember when news of "miracle landing on the Hudson" came out, this all transpired in 2009 after all but what I never imagined was complicated investigation that happened behind closed doors. 

While the whole world declared Captain Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger as a hero-he did successfully land a commercial flight on the Hudson River, saving all 155 people on the plane; he was facing investigation from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). 

Was a return to the airport after a bird strike (birds-in this case geese, flying into your engines causing damage) possible? 

Was the left engine still working? 

How come computer simulations were able to land the plane saretly back ? 

Apparently insurance and expenses trumps the safety of 155 passengers - #priorities right? 

The National Transportation Safety Board was looking for a scape goat and it was Sully. 

So after saving 155 lives, Sully has to defend himself in an intense investigation, he is unable to work at this time. His career of over 20,000 hours flying airplanes-he began flying at the age of fourteen, was at stake. Goodbye retirement. Goodbye pension. 

So while the whole world sang praises for Sully, he was fighting his own battles. 

Director Clint Eastwood takes us in the mind of Captain Sullenberger as he looks back at the 208 seconds that defined his career as a pilot and saved the lives of 155 people. Could it have done things differently? Should he have tried doing things differently? Was he really the hero that everyone said he was? These questions plagued Sully during the days of the investigation. The film focuses on the investigation and takes the audience into those 208 seconds and the moments that came after. 

"New York needs good news, especially when it comes to airplanes." 

This line caught my attention especially since I also realized that the film was released close to the anniversary of 9/11 and I thought that yes, we do need to celebrate the "wins" that we have. 

Impressive performance from Tom Hanks, as always. I must also commend Aaron Eckhart's take on co-pilot Jeff Skiled, his subtle cheerful demeanor was a good balance to Sully's more serious personality. 

Another part of the story I did not think about until seeing the film were the different unsung heroes who responded after the plane hit the frigid waters of the Hudson River, this happened in January when a dip in the River is definitely not pleasant. My heart grew as I saw the emergency responders arrive at the scene to help the passengers to safety. It was also very touching to see families reunited and safe. 

7.5 out of 10. Celebrate the wins in life with this beautiful true to life story. "Sully" is still showing in cinemas! 

Movies: “SULLY” – A ROLE TOM HANKS CANNOT PASS UP

Three years ago, he played the real-life titular character “Captain Phillips” to critical acclaim and box-office success. Now, two-time Oscar-winner Tom Hanks portrays another true-to-life person – Captain Chesley Sullenberger, the hero of the so-called Miracle-on-the-Hudson landing – in Warner Bros. Pictures' “Sully.”

The Captain “Sully” the world has come to know in recent history began flying at the age of 14, “as soon as he was tall enough to see outside the cockpit of the plane,” quips Tom Hanks. The young pilot then attended the United States Air Force Academy and flew fighter jets in the service for five years, attaining the rank of captain, before taking the controls of a commercial airliner. “The life of a professional aviator,” the actor continues. “If he tallied it up, I think he’d have something like 20,000 hours as the guy in charge of the plane. That’s a lot of take-offs and landings, a lot of looking at gauges to see if anything is wrong, and a few hairy moments here and there in the course of a career.”

But nothing like what he faced in those 208 seconds that would come to represent the culmination of his life’s experiences. Pilots work hard to prepare for any circumstances they could face in the air, and suddenly Sully was faced with the challenge of his career. “A flock of geese got sucked into the engines and boom! he was essentially flying a powerless glider with 155 souls on board—his included. It’s a good thing he had those 20,000 hours of experience behind him,” Hanks offers.

The role of Sully was one the always-in-demand Hanks couldn’t turn down, despite having to postpone a well-earned break. “Sometimes you read something that is so stirring and at the same time so simple, such a perfect blend of behavior and procedure,” he reflects. “Now, I’m as competitive as the next actor, so I knew I wanted at least a shot at it, even though I’d been working pretty steadily for about six years. Sure I was beat but, not unlike a solid jolt of adrenaline, this role, Sully, Mr. Clint Eastwood…they all came along. I felt like I couldn’t pass up a chance at playing in this great double-header at the end of this long baseball season.”

Although the two had never worked together before, Eastwood says, “Tom was one of the first people we thought about for the part. But at the time he was just finishing a picture and we didn’t think we could get him. But he read the script and liked it and made himself available. And he was terrific, a consummate pro, and it was kind of effortless working with him.”

The filmmakers also appreciated what Hanks brought to the shoot when the cameras weren’t rolling. Offers Eastwood, “He has a great sense of humor, so that makes it fun. He’d be standing around waiting, sometimes in the rain, and still making the crew laugh.”

Despite his easygoing demeanor on set, Hanks admits that when playing a real person “you’re always intimidated. You say to yourself, ‘I’ll never sound like him, I’ll never look like him. Hopefully I can embody some aspect, capture some part of his personality, his characteristics, his gravitas, his charm,’ whomever the person may be. And then you go to work.”

The subject of Hanks’ portrayal had no qualms about the actor stepping into his shoes. “Besides the fact that they were making a movie, directed by such a gifted storyteller as Clint Eastwood, to then have Tom Hanks playing me…it’s a dream team,” says the real Captain Chesley Sullenberger. “I know Tom is someone who can transform himself, but the first time I saw a long-range shot of him in costume, with his hair colored? Wow. It was amazing.”

Opening across the Philippines on Thursday, Sept. 08 in IMAX and regular cinemas,“Sully” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Movies: “SULLY” FILMED ENTIRELY WITH IMAX CAMERAS FOR STUNNING CLARITY, SCALE

A miracle landing deserves an epic-scale shooting. That's why director Clint Eastwood has chosen to film Warner Bros. Pictures' “Sully” – the airborne thriller based on true events -- almost entirely with new ALEXA IMAX® 65mm cameras.

As a result, audiences will see the so-called `miracle on the Hudson' depicted in stunning clarity.

And exclusively in IMAX® theatres, “Sully” will be presented in an expanded IMAX 1.9:1 aspect ratio and fill more of the IMAX screen – offering moviegoers 26% more of the image than standard cinemas for a truly immersive experience.

“Sully” stars Oscar winner Tom Hanks as Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger.

On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed the “Miracle on the Hudson” when Captain “Sully” Sullenberger glided his disabled plane onto the frigid waters of the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 aboard. However, even as Sully was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to destroy his reputation and his career.

“Sully” also stars Aaron Eckhart as Sully’s co-pilot, Jeff Skiles, and Oscar nominee Laura Linney as Sully’s wife, Lorraine Sullenberger.

Eastwood is directing the film from a screenplay by Todd Komarnicki, based on the book Highest Duty by Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow.

The ALEXA IMAX 65mm camera that Eastwood used in filming “Sully” is a next-generation revolutionary 2D digital camera developed through a partnership between ARRI and IMAX for use by today's leading filmmakers working in the IMAX® format. The camera, when combined with IMAX’s digital re-mastering process, delivers the highest level of digital image capture and playback resulting in stunning lifelike images with pristine clarity, incredibly fine detail, vivid colors and a higher dynamic range for superior contrast.

Most films today are presented in an aspect ratio called CinemaScope (2.40:1). When a film is presented in CinemaScope, it is cropped and uses only part of the image the movie camera captures. This is the reason most ordinary screens are very wide but not particularly high.

With “Sully,” IMAX provided Eastwood with the ability to use an expanded aspect ratio for the film's IMAX presentation during production through filming with the extremely high-resolution IMAX® camera.

Opening across the Philippines on Thursday, Sept. 08 in IMAX and regular cinemas,“Sully” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Movie Review: A Hologram for a King

The story of self discovery in a strange and beautiful land, "AHologram for the King" is based on the award winning book of the same name by acclaimed author Dave Eggers. 

An actor and filmmaker with a number of awards to his name himself, Tom Hanks stars as Alan Clay, a broke, depressed and freshly divorced man who arrives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to close what he hopes to be the deal of a lifetime. 

His mission is to sell a state-of-the-art holographic teleconferencing system to the King of Saudi Arabia. Finding himself in a strange land with unfamiliar customs, Alan struggles to get a sense of how things operate in the beautiful yet strange city. 

At first, I wasn't sure how to classify the film, until the very end and it was only then that I realized that the film falls under the group of movies, such as: "Lost in Translation" and yes, even Hank's "The Terminal". 

I must applaud director Tom Tykwer who created beautiful and seamless transitions in scenes as well as being able to execute effective flashbacks to further enchance the narration of the story. 

As usual, Tom Hanks delivers a powerful and endearing performance, and his fellow actors are worth praising as well. Providing the comedic relief in the film is Alan's guide (chauffeur) Yousef, played by Alexander Black. 

During Alan's stay in the city, he also meets the beautiful and mysterious surgeon, Zara Hakem, played by London born actress Sarita Choundry, from the Emmy-award winning series "Homeland". 

The film is described as "the story of a man who stumbles upon an emotional and spiritual oasis after wandering in the dessert." -and I couldn't agree more. Despite the problems, hurts and wounds that Alan left behind in the US, he is able to find a new drive, he was able to find hope in a strange and beautiful dessert. 

A refreshing film, beautifully crafted with seamless transitions and flawless editing. You don't know what it's really about until the very end. The change in setting is very much welcome, as it brings the viewer to the beautiful and mysterious kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It's different customs, interesting people and beautiful scenic landscapes. 

Of course, Tom Hanks is a familiar face in an unfamiliar land and that makes the journey more enjoyable. 8/10 ⭐️

Movie News: TOM HANKS IN THE FACE OF RECESSION IN “A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING”

Award-winning actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks stars in “A Hologram for the King” set in recession-ravaged 2010 as an American businessman named Alan Clay adapted from the book of the same title by acclaimed author Dave Eggers.

 Hanks’ role in the movie is a broke, depressed and freshly divorced man who arrives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

to close what he hopes will be the deal of a lifetime. His mission: sell a state-ofthe-art holographic teleconferencing system to the Saudi government.  Adrift and alone in an unfamiliar land, Alan befriends taxi driver Yousef (Alexander Black), who chauffeurs him through the desert to the “King’s Metropolis of Economy and Trade,” a surreal ghost town of vacant skyscrapers and half-completed construction projects. Baffled by the bureaucratic reception he gets at the so-called “Welcome Center,” Alan struggles to figure out why his small IT support team is being forced to spend its days in a sweltering tent as it preps for the big presentation. Worse, because of the Saudi way of doing business, he’s unclear if the king will ever show up for the long-scheduled meeting.

Clay arrives in Saudi Arabia without any prior knowledge of the place, other than his own cartoonish, stereotypical concept, according to Hanks.  “Though he’s not a happy guy, when Alan tries to sell the upbeat nature of the 3-D hologram and rally his team, he becomes this other guy, the former Alan Clay, a man with energy and vibrancy. That’s where the comedy comes from.” 

 In addition to emphasizing the book’s humor, Tykwer bolstered the romantic elements as he translated Eggers’ story from page to screen. “The longer I worked on the script, the more profound the love story became because it connects to this whole third-act decision where the movie becomes a more optimistic tale,” Tykwer says.  Alan is coaxed out of his funk by Zahra Hakem, an alluring, talented surgeon portrayed by London-born Sarita Choudhury. In her role as CIA Division Chief Saul Berenson’s long-suffering wife Mira on the Emmy-winning series “Homeland,” the half-Indian, half-English actress developed an avid following that included Hanks himself. “I remember seeing Sarita for the first time on ‘Homeland’ and thinking, ‘Alright, I don’t know who she is, but that  woman is riveting. I don’t know where she comes from but I can’t take my eyes off her.”

 In Hollywood’s finest black-comedy tradition, “A Hologram for the King delivers laughs spiked with bittersweet undertones. “We’ve made a crisis comedy that points the finger at the fact that our economic structure is falling apart and the apocalypse seems to be looming just around the corner,” Tykwer says. “We use comedy as a tool to embrace tragedy like a balloon you stick with a needle so it explodes and the energy that comes out is cheerful. Despite all of

Alan’s problems, I hope this movie cheers people up.”

For Hanks, who’s earned iconic status and five Academy Award® nominations by playing regular, good-hearted Americans who triumph overhard luck circumstances, A Hologram for the King is the story of a man who stumbles upon an emotional and spiritual oasis after wandering in the desert. “Why make a movie about a guy where nothing ever works out for him? That might work fantastically as a piece of literature but as far as the cinema goes, the story requires this other thing — for want of a better word, let’s just call it hope.”      

“A Hologram for the King” opens June 1 in cinemas from OctoArts Films International.

BRIDGE OF SPIES Review: Tom Hanks & Steven Spielberg team up for this Cold War thriller

I've always LOVED History and even if I no longer get to sit in a classroom and listen to my teachers; I still get to enjoy movies based on beautiful stories that weren't in our History books and with a master director such as Spielberg on the helm and Award Winning actor Tom Hanks in the lead you cannot go wrong.

A few months ago we saw The Man From U.N.C.L.E. which is a more colorful and lighter take on the Cold War along with the insanely handsome spies who skillfully dance from one side of the Berlin Wall to the next.

Bridge Of Spies is a more textbook accurate (as it is based on actual events) movie of the bleak and desolate conditions of the Cold War, the 'you-get-showered-with-a-rain-of-bullets- if you cross the wall kind of brutal reality. Where 'spies' are old men caught unawares in their underwear and without their false teeth.

While Uncle was a movie to entertain. Bridge of Spies is a movie to educate and to inspire.

Tom Hanks delivers another (as expected) impressive performance as Brooklyn Insurance Lawyer James Donovan who is given the task of defending alleged Russian spy Rudolph Adler who is played by actor Mark Rylance.

In a surprise twist, Uncle Sam finds himself planning a classic prisoner-exchange (between Adler and Powers) when their very own U2 pilot Gary Powers is shot out of the sky while doing a reconnaissance mission and the man to do the job-none other civilian than James Donovan. Now Donovan is doing a dangerous tango from one side of the Iron Curtain to the next as he tries to appease not just one but three governments and tries to bring home not one but two Americans.   

Rylance was a surprise crowd favorite and stole the show with his stoic and nonchalant attitude (perhaps a requirement for spies?) were both endearing and subtly funny, you would end up rooting for him.   

It takes a while for the actual juicy part of the story (the tense negotiations) to take place but the scenes leading up to it are all relevant and are not boring or dragging at all. I really enjoyed the flight and escape sequence which was very detailed and intense.