#REVIEW: Hector and the Search for Happiness

If there was one thing I enjoy, it’s traveling. I find that there is truly a piece of everyone in every new land that you visit and experience, thus finding yourself opening a book to the world page by page. Hector found himself looking for some happiness, and where’s the first place to search? Getting to the nearest airport. Hector and the Search for Happiness explores London psychiatrist Hector (Simon Pegg) finding a way to understand his patients, an ultimately himself, a little bit better. He lives with his perfect girlfriend Clara (Rosamund Pike) who is confused as to why he wanted to leave her, thinking that he is breaking up with her and wanting to reunite with his former flame, Agnus (Toni Collette), which we see in a photograph hidden in Hector’s sock drawer.

The first stop was China, where Hector did not find any trouble in making a friend on the way there. Edward, the business man, gives Hector a bit of the luxurious and wealthy life by showing him around the city and even gets him into the hottest clubs where he meets a girl named Ying Li. Little does he know, Hector falls in love only to find out that she is a hooker, and concludes that sometimes happiness is not knowing the whole story. Hector then travels to Africa where he finds his long time friend Michael. Although we do not know exactly where in Africa he traveled to, there seemed to be fear within the town and Hector eventually gets kidnapped. After he escapes, he learned that happiness comes when you truly feel alive. Hector also finds out that his friend is gay, and that happiness is to be loved for exactly who you are. The last stop was Los Angeles where Agnus lives and tells Hector to move on from her, and to truly find himself. He then has an epiphany and realizes that his happiness was always with him; in Clara. Hector rushes back to London and reunites with her in a sweet moment of surprise.

What is happiness? Is it merely traveling to a couple of countries and defining the term or is it sitting on a couch playing board games with your family? How about enjoying the work you do everyday, or the family in your life that never fails to amaze you? I feel that happiness comes from all around, and if there’s one thing that Hector gave us, it’s that happiness is all around you in different shapes and form. If life is truly like that, then we do not really need to search for happiness… and I’m happy with that.

Hector and the Search for Happiness is out in theatres today.