Hector e la ricerca della felicità

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.

"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 realizing who he really is and then keeps moving on to the next step in his self-discovery. It turns out to be a warm quest and you're glad to go along for the ride.

Just because there are some pretty heavy moments of drama, it doesn't mean that the film is a downer. There are some very funny moments throughout, particularly in the wisdom he finds in the simple people of Africa (I know the continent is huge and that's a broad statement, but I can't recall which country, if it is even specifically mentioned). The film also has many whimsical moments where his drawings and sketches are brought to life or Hector finds himself daydreaming about his childhood. I actually admire the delicate balance that the director/screenplay writer Peter Chelsom managed to accomplish here. The brief amount of comedy is just enough to offset the dramatic moments and that blend balances the moments of enlightenment and discovery very well. You will also very much enjoy the semi fantastical developments in Hector's adventures. It helps ease you through the dramatic moments because deep down you get that it might look pretty dire at times but things are ultimately going to be alright. They say that a foul mood is contagious. "Hector and the Search for Happiness" shows that a good mood can be contagious as well. This is the kind of movie that you go to watch with your family and everyone comes out of the theater with a smile on their face, even if they weren't blown away. It's a slight little film, and probably not what you expect to be but that's OK. "Hector and the Search for Happiness" is just what you need to cleanse your pallet after the summer blockbusters and the fall thrillers to reset your mood back to cheery, wide-eyed and optimistic. (Theatrical version on the big screen, October 7, 2014)

But still more than a decent effort to find ones meaning of and in life. I saw someone calling it "Dudes version of Eat Pray Love". That's a funny way of putting it. And it's not that wrong. While it may appear like something more similar to Mr. Mitty (a really good movie about escaping real life in fact, but also finding oneself, through that way), it actually is more like the Julia Roberts movie (or book if you haven't seen the movie).

Simon Pegg is really good in this and he is surrounded by a stellar cast. Maybe watching this after "Gone Girl" will seem a bit weird, but that is up to the viewer to decide. I watched it before, so that didn't affect my experience. A decent story about life and appealing/inspiring to the viewer to maybe do something similar

In the mood for a film, I stopped by the local art house cinema this afternoon. Of the films on offer, this looked like it might be good, though I didn't know too much about what it was about, and really didn't expect much.

Turned out to be a great film. Funny, poignant, and inspiring all at once. Simon Pegg is terrific as a psychiatrist who experiences a sort of existential crisis, and decides to disrupt his tidy, organize, and predictable life to search for the makings of Happiness. His research produces a collection of Buddhist-like conclusions about what may or may not lead to happiness. Along the way, Pegg's character, Hector, begins to 'live', and we the viewer, if we're paying attention, gain some philosophical insights.

The more I think about this film, the more layers of meaning and nuance I realize were lurking beneath the surface of this thoroughly delightful movie. I left the cinema feeling introspective, inspired, and ...Happy. I was moved to indulge in some of the little things that make me happy: a few bars of Amedei chocolate, a meander through the arboretum, a book of poetry; as well as moved to examine what things in my life lead to happiness, and what things lead to unhappiness.

This is a film I would like to see again, and will likely purchase for my movie library.

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.