The Secret Is Out There..."Hector and the Search For Happiness"

Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014)

Rated R

Starring Simon Pegg, Rosamund Pike, Jean Reno, Christopher Plummer, Ming Zhao, Toni Collette

Directed by Peter Chelsom

The Story:

Hector (Pegg) is a psychiatrist who leads a seemingly ideal life. Except he seems both bored by his patients and his girlfriend (Pike). So one day, Hector decides to throw caution to the wind and embark on a global adventure to discover what true happiness is.

A quirky little indie dramedy that grows on you as the film rolls, Pegg continues to shine as a leading actor who seems perfectly at home in these offbeat love stories.

He absolutely loves Clara, but feels the need to see what life could throw at him if he leaves his very organized life behind for a moment and travels the globe.

Along the way he encounters all manners of characters who impart their wisdom of how to be happy, and how they achieve it. Naturally, each one adds a new layer to Hector and he is able to use what he's learned along the way to help him out of situations as the needs arise.

Naturally, there is the other woman (Collette) who Hector needs to see to find out what he might have missed out on, or if there is a chance that she was his happiness all along, and Clara is a substitute of what might have been.

If you've seen enough movies in your life, you know pretty much how this movie will play out from start to finish.

Still, it's a journey that's always worth taking, and a great cast that takes you along for the ride.

Final Grade: B

"Jack Reacher" Tries A Little Too Hard To Entertain...

Steven Seagal proved that nobody is Above the Law...

Tom Cruise did not get that memo.

The Story:

An assassin (Jai Courtney) kills 5 seemingly random people in Pennsylvania.  The police grab a suspect who happens to be a former military sniper.  The D.A. (Richard Jenkins) is ready to fry the man, but he maintains that he is innocent.  His request?  Get Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) a former military investigator who has seemingly dropped off the radar.  When Reacher blows into town, he teams with Helen, the defense lawyer (Rosamund Pike) and they begin to unravel a cover-up that could cost Reacher and Helen their lives.

This movie didn't know whether it wanted to be played as a straight action movie thriller, or for laughs as a throwback to the great action films of the 80s/90s.

I think it suffers a bit because of that.

It's otherwise an almost engaging thriller...

But then Cruise starts spouting one-liners that were better suited for Stallone or Ah-Nuhld back in the 80s.. and it sort of pulls you out of the film.

Then there is the completely over-the-top, played for a gag, henchmen attack in the bathroom.  The first stunt makes you laugh, then it quickly devolves into Stooges territory.

Yeah, a little too much levity sprinkled in odd doses make it an poorly paced action/thriller.

People need to go back and look at Lethal Weapon or Die Hard to figure out the pacing and be able to know when to install a joke/gag and when to play it straight.

Jack Reacher tried, but you should laugh because the joke/gag is funny, not poorly delivered or out of place.  Overall, it's not a bad movie, just a bit too disjointed from start to finish to make me want to watch it again.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'll have to pass on this one.  Head back to the Mission Impossible franchise Mr. Cruise.  The last ones have been really good.