Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014)

Hector is a forty something psychiatrist with an enviable life. He has a beautiful apartment, a gorgeous girlfriend who does everything for him, and a thriving, although according to the voice-over, under charged practice. But he's not happy, which may have something to do with the decades old picture of an ex girlfriend that he hides in his sock drawer. So in order to find out what makes people happy he takes off on a around the world trip in search of the intangible.

Part travelogue, part comedy, and part pathos, the film never seems to come together despite a few good moments. Perhaps it is because it is trying to be too many things at once. Simon Pegg attempts to hold together a film that seems at best an exercise in navel gazing, but despite his ability to make us root for his everyman character the film just doesn't click. Not a complete disappointment but not something I would run out and see again.

Fmovies: Simon Pegg was a brilliant choice for this movie and the whole film is almost perfect as reflected in my rating. Based on a book, the script is pretty bloody good and, while I am usually not a fan of touchy-feely wisdom-on-a-cup kind of things, I really enjoyed the movie.

OK, sometimes it was a little bit too heavy handed and I believe that choosing an actor for the lead that didn't have Pegg's silly happy funny face could have doomed this film. As such, I wonder how have I not heard of this movie? Why is everyone talking about superheroes and no one about this film? Is it just because it is not an American film?

I thought that the script juggled very well with the viewers expectations. Then there are Jean Reno's role, Rosamund Pike's - especially after Gone Girl, I know that this movie comes first, but the result of watching it now is quite unexpected - and, of course, Christopher Plummer - may he live forever. Quite small, but perfect in their value to the story.

Bottom line: watch the film. It can't hurt and it can really help. Give it a try. It's not a new age hum and meditate thing, it's ... real? It feels so.

I loved this film. It made me smile throughout and laugh out loud at several points. The performances are excellent, with Simon Pegg in particular turning in his usual high standard of performance as Hector.

I loved the locations, many of the supporting characters, the time-span and the punctuation of the film with Hector's findings about Happiness as his "research" developed. For me, this gave the film a modern feel.

It was beautifully shot. I even enjoyed the ending and the discomfort it induced in some members of the audience.

A masterpiece of a movie. I could watch it again and again and will buy the DVD so I can watch it at Christmas or when I'm ill because it will make me feel better, just like a feel-good movie is meant to. 10/10

Hector and the Search for Happiness fmovies. Caught a screening. Hard to put your finger on, it's not exactly a comedy or romance or drama but it's got all those elements in it yet they all balance perfectly. Really had me. Well, I laughed a lot, so maybe it is a comedy. Everybody's funny in it. Simon Pegg is the best I've ever seen him. Always loved him, never exactly thought of him as a dramatic actor but he sure lays it down here. Wonderful surprise, I hope he does more quality moves like this, he's too talented to waste. Most worthwhile film I've seen all year. Just incredibly satisfying. No spoilers here so I'll just say it's a really great. Going to take my friends when it comes around again. Funny, smart and a terrific ending. Why is that so hard to do these days?

"Hector and the Search for Happiness" is a warm little comedy/drama that isn't necessarily insightful on what it takes to make people happy, but it will lift up your spirits nonetheless. Hector (Simon Pegg) is a, well, there's no other word for it, boring psychiatrist. He is bored with his job, doodles a lot, is basically being mothered by his girlfriend (Rosamund Pike as Clara), doesn't have many friends and isn't really doing anything with his life. One day he comes to a realization that he really can't help his patients get out of their depressions or solve their problems because he isn't happy himself. He doesn't want to admit it to his girlfriend, but he also still pines for that one girl that could have been "the one" (Toni Collette as Agnes) that he lost years ago. He decides to take an impromptu trip exploring the world. Taking notes along the way, he meets a slew of different characters, all of which have different views and beliefs on what happiness is all about and comes to his own conclusions after living through all sorts of adventures.

Despite the title, I wouldn't call this film a guide to finding true bliss. It's more a dramatic adventure, with some comedy sprinkled on top, of a guy who is unhappy and decides that he is going to find a way to change that. The main reason I'm saying this is because Hector doesn't really come to any mind-blowing conclusions about happiness and your average Joe can't exactly take an impromptu vacation from his job to go flying to China, Africa and Los Angeles on a whim. The film is more of a journey for Hector, with you being invited to come along for the ride. For this character, the conclusions he comes to really are mind-blowing because he's basically been a zombie for many years. When I say that this film isn't going to necessarily change your interpretation of happiness, that's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just that I want you to know what you're getting into before you decide to watch the film.

When it comes to Hector's adventures and encounters, there are some nice moments of sweetness, of comedy and even a few moments of genuine tension and fear. You might think that this film is a straight comedy from the casting of Simon Pegg in the lead, but that's not really the case. Many of his encounters begin as comedic but eventually turn into disappointments. Hector catalogs what he has and hasn't discovered in his sketchbook and moves on. It's like being in college and going for a work placement. You go to a place and figure that you'll get a ton of experience and probably even get offered a job. Odds are, you'll leave slightly disappointed, but wiser than you were before you arrived and in retrospect, you'll cherish those memories. Part of you wonders what it would have been like if things had gone differently, but when you go to the next work placement, you realize that the one job you might have had but didn't get might not have been what you were looking for in the first place. I really enjoyed this aspect of the film, the series of encounters where Hector meets the different people whose lives intersect with his in different ways. My favorites probably being a rich businessman played by Stellan Skarsgard who decides to show him what his vision of happiness is and the beautiful woman named Ying Li (Ming Zhao) that he immediately grows close to soon after. Hector encounters new people, makes some friends, puts notes into his sketchbook, begins

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Hector, the acting and production all top class, Mr Pegg showed his acting maturity and Rosamund Pike played her role perfectly, the final scenes were quite poignant and not what I was expecting at all. Toni Collette at the end of the film giving a strong performance and Hector and the audience something to think about, I have used a couple of the things he discovers on his journey in my life already. Some are a bit obvious but there is some good advice in there. If you are looking for an alternative to some predictable movie with an over muscled pretty boy blowing stuff up, this could be for you. Go see it.