Reviewed by Michael Edwards
Stars Robert De Niro, Bruce Willis, Stanley Tucci, John Turturro, Kristen Stewart, Lily Rabe, Sean Penn, Dennis Albanese,
Catherine Keener, Moon Bloodgood
Written by Art Linson
Certification UK 15 | US R
Runtime 104 minutes
Directed by Barry Levinson
Another story by Hollywood, about Hollywood. I've long been of the opinion that when filmmakers make films about their experiences making films it sucked into a portrayal which is either bland or clichéd. What's more, they have a tendency to ruin the magic of movies. Thankfully, this film is none of those things.
An amusing and entertaining comedy, What Just Happened is not just a satire but a story of how difficult a career-driven life can be. The fact that producer Art Linson wrote both the book and the screenplay and that director Barry Levinson has himself produced many films helped to create a lead character in De Niro (no stranger to the producer role himself) who is not just a 2-D satire that sets out to confirm or confound the stereotypes, but rather an all-too-human character on the brink of crisis. The supporting cast isn't half bad either, with Sean Penn and Bruce Willis putting in great performances as caricatures of themselves: I particularly enjoyed watching Bruce Willis, complete with a big gut and 'Grizzly Adams beard' having a tantrum and smashing up the wardrobe department of his movie set.
On the whole the storyline is simple and bubbles along nicely with plenty of shots of transition to emphasize the hectic lifestyle led by producer Ben. The comic satire which punctuates it is witty and fun but not particulary sharp or special. What really ties the whole thing together is the crumbling personal life of Ben, whose constant endeavours in his craft seem to push him further and further from those he loves. It becomes increasingly difficult not to feel sorry for him... until he has a free dinner in a fancy restaurant or receives some special attention from especially pretty fans! And therein lies the rub. With the personal difficulties providing the core of the film, it is hard for the majority of us to identify with the personal traumas Ben suffers in the midst of such luxury. Whilst his life is obviously difficult and the situations testing, it is just not that easy to feel his pain.
Overall What Just Happened isn't a great film, but it is very likeable. What's more it is just what De Niro needed to remind us all that he has a very enjoyable on-screen persona, and one with real presence at that.