What Just Happened Review

What Just Happened Review

Cast: Robert De Niro, Sean Penn, Catherine Keener, Robyn Wright Penn, John Turturro, Kristen Stewart, Stanley Tucci, Michael Wincott, Bruce Willis
Director: Barry Levinson
Screenplay: Art Linson
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rated: M Violence, coarse language and sexual references
Running Time: 104 Minutes
Released: 21 May 2009

In Hollywood, Everybody Can Hear You Scream

Synopsis:
Directed by Academy Award® winning director Barry Levinson, What Just Happened is a winningly sharp comedy about two nail-biting, back-stabbing, roller-coaster weeks in the world of a middle-aged Hollywood producer (Robert De Niro) as he tries to juggle two ex-wives and two different families with his latest movie which is shaping up to be an audience-offending flop. Based on Hollywood producer Art Linson's bestselling memoirs (What Just Happened: Bitter Hollywood Tales from the Front Line).

My Verdict:
Ben (Robert De Niro) is a Hollywood producer who introduces himself at a photo shoot for Vanity Fair magazine and relates that the two weeks prior to the shoot changed his life. What Just Happened tells Ben's story.

Ben's career is on the line as two movie projects are in jeopardy - one staring Sean Penn (playing Sean Penn) and directed by the erratically eccentric Brit Jeremy Brunnell (Michael Wincott) who is under orders to change the film's ending by studio boss Lou (Catherine Keener) before they hit Cannes with the film, the other project is a movie where production has been halted as the lead actor (Bruce Willis) refuses to shave a Grizzly Adams style beard despite the pathetic attempts from his agent Dick (John Turturro) to lose it. Combine these with Ben juggling his children between two ex-wives, and marriage counselling with the most recent, Kelly (Robyn Wright Penn) and Ben's life becomes stressful, frenetic and comedic.

What Just Happened might sometimes seem a little too far fetched, but because it is based on screenwriter Art Linson's book, perhaps it is not so absurd. At a funeral where most of the cast are attending, some visual humour is used that suggests some literary liberties to enhance the scene but then again, it is highly likely that most of the story is pretty much the real deal. The politics, conniving and placating that Ben uses seem a constant in his life that he takes in his stride.

Robert De Niro pretty much plays it straight and controlled and seems content and satisfied in his role as Ben. John Turturro is great as the neurotic and bumbling agent, Bruce Willis gets to rant and rave as the precious movie star, Michael Wincott revels in his role as the stubborn director and Catherine Keener's small role is faultless.

Given the opportunity to really let loose with an expose on the inside workings of Hollywood, What Just Happened is very restrained, with a constant feeling that what we see is merely the tip of the iceberg, but it's still fun and might just be a revelation to some.

Rating : ***

Christina Bruce