Hector (Simon Pegg) is frustrated that he can provide his patients with real happiness even though he has a successful psychiatry practice in London, England.   He also has a nice home and a beautiful caring girlfriend (Rosamund Pike).   So one day he decides to go a journey (which will take him from China to Africa to Los Angeles) as he decides to do research on what makes people happy and what happiness is; and along the way he meets a rich businessman (Stellan Skarsgard), a beautiful Chinese woman, a powerful drug dealer named Diego (Jean Reno who I really miss seeing in more movies these days), a successful author (Christopher Plummer) who wrote a book on happiness, and his ex-girlfriend (Toni Collette).   At times, HECTOR AND SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS is a funny movie and maybe it will make you think about what does it mean to be happy, but I do think Simon Pegg at least got to see China and Africa while making this movie and work with Jean Reno (who I would love to see Simon work with again).

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

AROUND THE WORLD WITH SIMON PEGG is an interview with Simon pegg as he talks about the movie and how it was great to work with great actors like Jean Reno and Christopher Plummer.

 

THE MAKING OF HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS is a promotional featurette that has interviews with cast and crew as they talk about the movie and the challenges of making it while pointing out the items in Hector’s office gives clues to his journeys and adventures in the film.

 

Feature film audio commentary with director Peter Chelsom which can be skipped.

 

Rounding out the extras is the original theatrical trailer and previews for some of Fox’s other releases.

 

FINAL ANALYSIS:  HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS is a movie with heart and humor where sometimes you can’t search for happiness to know what it is.   I do wish Jean Reno and Simon Pegg do another movie together soon.

 

This review is ©2-6-2014 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

 

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