A dissatisfied London psychiatrist (Simon Pegg) embarks on a continent-crossing trip to discover the secret of happiness, in this globe-trotting comedy that also features Rosamund Pike, Toni Collette, Stellan Skarsgard, Jean Reno and Christopher Plummer.
Funny and insightful in equal measure, Hector and the Search for Happiness follows a psychiatrist lacking in life experience as he sets out on an epic guest to discover what makes people happy.
Frustrated with his increasing inability to provide meaningful care for his patients, and feeling suffocated in his relationship with his Type-A girlfriend Clara (Rosamund Pike), Hector (Simon Pegg, also appearing at the Festival in Kill Me Three Times) yearns for new experiences that will transform his approach to life and love. One day, he suddenly announces that he's leaving everything behind — including Clara — to travel the world on a mission to define happiness.
Whether it's living the high life in Shanghai, seeking out the best African recipes, defying local authorities, or searching for closure on past heartbreaks, Hector encounters people, places, and perspectives that will stay with him forever. Most importantly: though, in asking others what makes them happy, Hector eventually realizes he needs to turn the question on himself.
Audiences have come to know and love Simon Pegg for his quirky sensibility and wry humour, but in his effortless yet complex performance as Hector, he shows us so much more. Punctuated by playful cameos from Stellan Skarsgard, Jean Reno, Akin Omotoso, and Christopher Plummer, and buffered with enchanting animation sequences, director Peter Chelsom's latest feature achieves the perfect balance of whimsy and drama.
CAMERON BAILEY
Screenings
Scotiabank 12
Winter Garden Theatre
Scotiabank 4