itai-orion
Take an interesting subject matter, cast a superb, diverse group of actors, introduce original insight into an industry we are all curious about. Sounds promising, no? Sadly, this Hollywood insider comedy-satire is neither interesting nor funny. It seems to have a lot to say, but ultimately says very little. The main character is introduced to us as a man with immense power, who then proceeds to do his best to convince us otherwise during the entirety of the film. A mover-and-shaker who is constantly stopped in his tracks and who's shaking is only in his own boots.If the movie's message is to convince us not to pursue a career in Hollywood, good job. Otherwise, I just don't see the point. The plot leads us no-where, chugging along until it arrives at its extremely unlikely conclusion, which even then does nothing to resolve our storyline. De Niro is impeccable as a producer, Catherine Keener is perfect as a studio head, and Sean Penn (who plays himself) is naturally beyond any reproach. John Turturro does hi thing, and Bruce Willis steals the show. Unfortunately, the film somehow manages to miscast Stanley Tucci, one of the most versatile actors working today. Robin Wright is also there, but is never given a chance to do much. The same goes for Kristen Stewart. A whole lot of talent in one picture, none of which is fully present (with the exception of Willis).Watching this film, I found myself glancing at my wrist, wishing for it to be over but not suffering enough to turn it off. When the ending finally did roll around I found myself sorely disappointed with the lackluster and hollow message we are left with. I think perhaps this movie could have either listened to its own characters more often, or maybe less so. Not sure which...
Bene Cumb
I am rather frequent movie viewer, but my knowledge of creation and completion process is rather vague and I am seldom interested in related intrigues, picking of the cast etc. What Just Happened caught my attention due to the cast, and they performed their tasks well (in spite of often unfinished characters): Robert De Niro, Sean Penn, Bruce Willis, John Turturro, Stanley Tucci are excellent character actors always pleasant to watch. The plot, however, had only a few funny/witty moments, and the events became confused at times. Moreover, the creation of something with lots of people and money involved are always followed by contrary opinions, putting pressure, testing, constant modifications etc. - and is it really necessary to depict them even in a mild satirical manner? Alternately, one could really "spin" the events and create a crazy British type of a comedy. Alas, the movie in question did not have those elements and the outcome was mediocre for me - apart from the performances, as stated above.
Bolesroor
"What Just Happened" tells the story of a fading Hollywood producer... and that's all. Nothing extraordinary happens to him throughout the course of the film. He squabbles with his ex-wife, argues with stubborn actors and nurtures frustrated directors while trying to please the studio head... pretty much what every producer has done since the dawn of the film industry. I kept waiting for the moment that his life would spin into new, unexpected territory to justify the film but it never happened.Robert DeNiro is great in the lead- completely believable as a passionate man whose job is to mute himself in order to serve everyone else's passions. (Is it me or does he look much better with the goatee these days?) The movie is based on real-life producer Art Linson's book which is chock-full of anecdotes and true stories of absurdity from the world of film-making. I'm guessing the book plays much better than the movie.The movie, in fact, plays more like a pilot for a television series since it sets up a sympathetic lead character and all his supporting cast: his estranged daughter, his dullard assistant, his drama queen director, unshakable studio exec... and yet we get no real payoff for any of the plot lines: Where does DeNiro call his daughter a slut? Where does he punch out the director for changing the ending to his film? Where does he sabotage his friend's screenplay for sleeping with his ex-wife?Not here. This is just an average week in the life of a Hollywood power-broker, and a rather unremarkable one at that. What a waste...GRADE: C
Argemaluco
I had good expectations before watching What Just Happened because Robert De Niro had previously worked with director Barry Levinson in Wag the Dog, one of my favorite political comedies, and I was enthusiastic to see them working together again in a satire of the film industry. Unfortunately, What Just Happened is too bland and artificial to consider it as a genuine denounce against Hollywood, and I think that it is nothing more than an insipid comedy whose good intentions are not enough for justifying its lack of energy or its boring screenplay.It is easy to laugh at Hollywood, because from the outside, it seems like an absurd industry which punishes the originality at the same time it promotes the mediocrity and the conformism. However, I would have thought that screenwriter Art Linson (who also wrote the book this movie is based on) would have had more things to say about Hollywood, since he has been working for various decades as a powerful producer with various mainstream films (such as, for example, Fight Club, Heat and The Untouchables) in his filmography. And I think that is the main problem from What Just Happened: it does not even remotely go as far as it should, and it simply recycles the same jokes and situations we have seen in much better satires of the film industry, from the movie The Player to TV series like Entourage and Extras.Among the few positive things I can say about this movie, I have to mention the solid performances, from Stanley Tucci as a capricious screenwriter to Michael Wincott as a director/artist obsessed with his vision, without forgetting about Catherine Keener as an inflexible director from a studio and John Turturro as a traitor agent who is only worried in charging his next commission. But the best performance of What Just Happened comes from De Niro, who can credibly express the tumult of emotions his character must keep under control in order not to ruin his career or his personal life. However, despite the competent performances, I do not feel that What Just Happened deserves even a slight recommendation, because I found it to be a boring and unfunny satire which lacks of ambition.
AD
