• Home
  • Meetings
  • Events
  • Blog
  • E-Board
  • Around Boston
  • Join
Northeastern University's Film Enthusiasts Club
.

Carter Sigl on Hector and the Search for Happiness

9/26/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Are you happy? Actually, for that matter, what is happiness anyway? What makes one happy? We have all asked these questions before, and there seems to be an endless array of self-help books and internet advice in order to help us answer those very questions. Since art imitates life, it is no surprise that we should have a movie seeking to answer those very same questions.

Hector and the Search for Happiness (based off a book of the same name by François Lelord) is about a man named (you guessed it) Hector, played by Simon Pegg. He is a successful psychiatrist, living in a swanky apartment in London, overlooking the Millennium Bridge. He has a beautiful girlfriend named Clara (Rosamund Pike), who works in marketing, and together they live a quiet, ordinary, predictable life. However, one day Hector comes to a realization: he is not particularly happy, and is therefore unable to help his patients to be any happier. So he decides to go on a round-the-world expedition to do “research” on what makes people happy. His misadventures include spending time in a Buddhist monastery in China, being kidnapped by a warlord in Africa, and reconnecting with an old flame in Los Angeles. Through it all, Hector jots down his notes and doodles as part of his research about happiness.

Hector and the Search for Happiness is an odd film. I mentioned self-help books earlier, and in many ways it seems like one of the endless stream of books designed to appeal to aimless housewives. Although, to be fair, it was based off a psychology book written in such a way as to appeal to a mainstream audience. The film’s messages are therefore very predictable: we get such gems as “Happiness is being loved for who you are” and “Happiness is doing something you love”. Geez, I’ve never heard any of that before. Much of the movie becomes very annoying and patronizing; the worst part is a scene where Hector’s brain is being scanned and we see his emotions color-coded on a computer screen, with a doctor looking on and waxing poetic about them looking like the Northern Lights.

But on the other hand, there are a few moments in the film which possess real feeling. When Hector is being held hostage in Africa and it looks like he’s going to be shot, the tone drastically switches to be almost overly dramatic and tense. But, it is a welcome respite from the condescending advice of the rest of the movie. And when Hector is in the Buddhist monastery, he meets a monk who gives him words of wisdom which actually sound, well wise, rather than something from the bargain bin at Barnes and Noble. It’s not enough to save the movie, but it is enough to keep it from being a total failure.

So, if you really like self-help books, then you’ll probably love this movie. Alternatively, if you love Simon Pegg, you may also enjoy this movie (for all that’s wrong with it, Simon Pegg still does a decent job). Or, if you want to see a harmless film which will advise you to do the same things your parents, therapist, and college academic advisor told you to, then go ahead. But overall, I do not believe that Hector and the Search for Happiness will not do much to make you happy at the theatre this weekend.

Grade: C-
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    AJ Martin
    Andy Robinson
    Anime
    Anthony Formicola
    Anu Gulati
    Arjun Agarwal
    Arzu Martinez
    Ben Garbow
    Brandon Isaacson
    Brian Hamilton
    Carter Sigl
    Dan Simeone
    Discussion
    Elizabeth Johnson Wilson
    Eliza Rosenberry
    Emily Fisler
    Erick Sanchez
    Eric Tatar
    Essays
    Festivals
    Gabrielle Ulubay
    Haley Emerson
    Here's Some Movies
    Ian Wolff
    IFF Boston
    IFFBoston 2015
    Interviews
    Isaac Feldberg
    Kunal Asarsa
    Library
    Lists
    Marguerite Darcy
    Marissa Marchese
    Mary Tobin
    Meghan Murphy
    Mike Muse
    Mitch Macro
    Neel Shah
    Netflix Instant Watch
    Parth Parekh
    Patrick Roos
    Profiles
    Reviews
    Short Films
    Television
    This Week In Movies
    Tyler Rosini

    Want to Write for Us?

    Contact NUFEC President Ian Wolff at nufecblog@gmail.com if you're interested in writing for this blog!

    Archives

    April 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    October 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.