'Hector And The Search For Happiness' A Review

Hector And The Search For Happiness is a feel-good British comedy based on a novel of the same name. In the questionable vein of Eat, Pray, Love affluent London psychiatrist Hector(Simon Pegg) finds himself dissatisfied with his life and sets out on a journey across the globe to find out what makes people happy.

With a playful and star-studded cast the film almost achieves its goals of being light-hearted, funny, and poignant. Unfortunately the film is, at points, myopic of the implicit entitlement of its main character. When Hector discovers the young beautiful Chinese woman, who has shown him some affection, is a prostitute his response is "Aw shucks she lied to me." When he is captured by African militants there is no sense of real danger, no actual stakes, no authenticity. When he visits his old flame he does so petulantly, demanding answers. Pegg shambles through the film draped in cliche khaki doing his best to inject some realism but moments of actual discovery are no where to be found.

The film is funny and Pegg and Rosemund Pike who plays his girlfirend have great chemistry. The scenery is beautiful and the life lessons, although sometimes trite, are interesting enough. But the pieces never come together, it never delves the depths it hints at, it remains safely and smugly on the surface.

Ultimately we do not much care about this privileged white man's struggle to get in touch with his emotions and find direction. In fact, as the film progresses, we come to somewhat resent him.

Passably entertaining but off-putting in its soft advantaged worldview.

Rent It.