In the fabulous forthcoming book WHAT I LIKE ABOUT MOVIES, published by Faber & Faber, editor David Jenkins writes, “Simon Pegg is the very definition of the kind of bloke you’d want to go down to the pub with.”

In his latest film, HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS, the Peggster reteams with his World’s End co-star, Rosamund Pike and instead of doing a pub crawl, embarks on a continent hop, in pursuit of contentment.

Pegg plays Hector, a London psychiatrist who has become increasingly tired of his humdrum life. He tells his girlfriend, Clara, played by Pike, that he feels like a fraud: he hasn’t really tasted life, and yet he’s offering advice to patients who are just not getting any happier. So Hector decides to break out of his deluded and routine driven life. He embarks on a global quest in hopes of uncovering the elusive secret formula for true happiness.

In fact, he is a fraud, harbouring fantasy notions of an old flame, a secret heartbreakingly discovered by Clara. Quite understandably Clara is devastated by the discovery, but does not disclose her findings to Hector. The more mature member of the couple, she is aware that any hectoring of Hector will go nowhere.

First stop for Hector is Shanghai, a stepping stone for Tibet, where he intends to get the lowdown on highness from the all-knowing llama. But before he can go monastic, he meets up with a millionaire (Stellan Starsgard) who introduces him to the high life, the all that money can buy scene, including the amorous attention of a top shelf sheila for hire.

Next Hector’s off to Africa to help an old mate on a medical mission where he befriends a drug and gun runner (Jean Reno) and falls foul of other miscreants.

Barely surviving the African leg, he makes it to America where finally hooks up with his old flame (Toni Collette), now married with children, and doing research with a pioneer in nueroscience, (Christopher Plummer).

Based on the world- wide best-selling novel of the same name, HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS is a sweet treat of a tale from director Peter Chelsom who made the classic Funny Bones.

With its globe-trotting adventuring, HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS plays like last year’s Walter Mitty, but with a decidedly less Hollywood and more British bent, and largely works as a profound bit of whimsy.

Audiences can expect a nicely paced, witty entertainment and would do well to heed Christopher Plummer’s character, Professor Corman, “We should concern ourselves not so much with the pursuit of happiness, but with the happiness of the pursuit.”

Sage advice to take away after the credits have rolled.