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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining and Satirical Look at Hollywood, October 11, 2008
Director Barry Levinson hasn't had much luck lately - after Bandits, which was a good though not anything very noteworthy comedy caper, he had two colossal duds in a row- Envy and Man of the Year- which, despite an otherwise impressive host of films (i.e. Diner, Rainman, Sleepers, even Toys) could have threatened to throw him off track ala Rob Reiner. But in a way What Just Happened was relatable for Levinson, despite it being the stories of Art Linson, semi-famous producer who's had hits and misses throughout his career, and at the same time gave him some ample material for some sardonic, spot-on satire of the industry. It's not the Player, don't get me wrong, but it gives its winks and nods to the egomania, the preciousness of directors and stars, and how personal lives get caught up in the mix without getting too smug with us common moviegoers.
Probably the funniest, as sort of a near running gag, is the latest film that producer Ben (De Niro) is being test-screened for audiences; a rough cut of "Fiercly" starring Sean Penn (who, as with Bruce Willis, plays "Himself" in the film) disturbs the audience because, on top of a bleak end for its hero, a dog is killed on screen (this, for all the wrong reasons, is hysterical funny, if only for the deadpan reaction from DeNiro to the insanely negative response cards). The director, however, a British hipster (brilliantly played by Michael Wincott), doesn't take it lightly that he doesn't have final cut. This brings around what seems like a moment of levity midway... and then back to the start when it comes time for Cannes. On top of this is Willis's 'plot-line' involving a beard he won't shave off. It's almost like a slight reprisal of his part in Four Rooms, only put to a much bigger, aggrandizing maximum. Both of these, much like seeing certain characters in a Christopher Guest movie, elicit laughs anytime they're on screen.
And the rest of the movie is... still very good. Aside from some scenes where Levinson decides to rush things along via the speedy transitions, he provides a style that suits the feel of the material, of Ben trying to balance his personal struggles (an ex-wife he can't totally let go of, and his rebellious teen daughter with a secret) with the eternal BS of getting work done in an industry concerned, a lot more often than not, with the final dollar over artistic integrity. It's not quite reality TV, but it has that unpredictable, on-the-fly hand-held feeling all the same, which is a method much more effective used here than in Man of the Year. And De Niro is also surprisingly good (maybe not a surprise to some, but considering some of his hit-or-miss turns in recent fare), as he doesn't lay too low-key in the part. One can probably see De Niro having studied producers - not just Linson himself but others- for long stretches to get the right steps for each deliberate step in ego-maniacal Hollywood.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy some near classic self-conscious satire on an industry that deserves anything those in it can dish back out.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Inside Look at Hollywood - If You Care, November 11, 2008
Film Producer Ben (Robert DeNiro) is having a bad week. His latest film, directed by a mercurial, temperamental, egotistical British director (Michael Wincott) and starring Sean Penn has a disastrous test screening. The next morning, Lou (Catherine Keener), the studio head, calls Ben and his director for a meeting. When the director throws a tantrum, Ben assures Lou they will make the requested changes in time for the Cannes Film Festival. His wife (Robin Wright Penn) is happy to continue going to a therapist, to help make it easier for them to break up. But Ben thinks she might be sleeping with a writer (Stanley Tucci) he knows. Then, Bruce Willis reports to work for Ben's next film overweight and wearing a beard he refuses to shave. Throw in Willis' scared agent (John Turturro) and you have an eclectic cast of characters.
Directed by Barry Levinson ("Wag The Dog", "Diner", "Babylon"), "What Just Happened?" written by producer Art Linson and based on a book he wrote, is very funny. But it is also way too 'inside' to make inroads to multiplexes across the country. I am pretty positive most people will end up seeing this film on DVD or cable. Most people aren't familiar with a lot of the inner workings of Hollywood. Most people won't like this film. Because they don't care.
If you have any connection to Hollywood, you will probably find "Happened?" to be as funny as I did.
Robert DeNiro and Barry Levinson have traveled this path before with the superior "Wag The Dog", a better, more insightful political satire that also starred Dustin Hoffman, among many others. I think the key difference between the two films is that "Dog" was a political satire, something everyone could care about. When Hollywood makes films about itself, they generally are received well in Los Angeles and New York, maybe San Francisco and Toronto. That's about it. That's about the extent of the audience for these films, the extent of the people who will care, understand and laugh at a film poking fun at Hollywood.
Hollywood is certainly an industry rife for ridicule, but most people simply want to go to a film and forget. They don't care about temperamental producers who struggle to hold on to their Vanity Fair power ranking, actor outbursts beyond the various tabloids and entertainment news programs, or studio bosses concerned about how a film plays in the flyover. The majority of the country is the "flyover", so why would they bother?
"What Just Happened?" is based on a book by Art Linson, who writes about his own travails working in the industry. Linson is a respected producer and has made more than his share of good films, memorable films, so he clearly has insight into this industry. And this comes across throughout the film.
Ben attends a test screening of his new film, starring Sean Penn, in a suburb of Los Angeles. We see snippets of the film and get to watch the reactions of the people recruited for the screening. As the various people react poorly to the increasingly horrific film, Ben winces and tries to make the best of it. When he receives the response cards, he stashes them on the passenger seat of his luxury SUV and heads home, determined not to look at them. But his curiosity gets the better of him and he pulls over, leafing through the written reactions and threatening drawings. Both of these scenes are very funny, because they appear real. I have been to bad test screenings, I know people who hang on every word of the reactions of these recruited audiences. The situation is funny and true.
But does the public care? No. They simply want to see the next "Iron Man" or "The Dark Knight" or "Tell No One". They don't care about the inner workings of the machine creating these fantasies, these illusions.
As Ben rushes through his day, you get a picture that this powerful producer spends little time in the office. He travels from one meeting to the next, meets with both of his ex-wives, takes kids from both marriages to school, chats with associates and more. The Bluetooth in his ear isn't just an accessory. It is a necessity. He is always connected and when an Assistant tells him he has to go to the set, he rushes over.
Bruce Willis and Sean Penn both play themselves and seem to have fun poking fun at the very industry that keeps both very rich. Willis appears on set overweight, sporting a Grizzly Adams beard, both of which will do nothing for his image as the hero in Ben's new action film. Ben pleads with him and finally loses his temper. Willis throws some things around, scaring everyone and they come to an impasse. Penn appears in Ben's just completed film and the director stands by his guns, refusing to change anything, because Penn will be upset. He only agreed to be in the film because it was going to be edgy and controversial.
But Ben is, above all, a problem solver. When he recognizes Lou isn't going to budge, he realizes he has to talk the director into making the changes, to appease the studio boss and ensure his continued career. When a studio worker shows up to measure his office, an Assistant claims it is for the rug he requested, but Ben recognizes the signs and gets scared. Besides, he requested the rug more than nine months ago, so it seems suspicious that after a bad screening they are suddenly measuring his office for the new rug.
When he finally gets through to the temperamental director, he seems satisfied and reports to Lou who extends an invitation for Ben to accompany them to Cannes on the company plane. Of course, the trip doesn't go as planned.
These sequences help to paint an interesting, knowing portrait of the inner workings of Hollywood. Linson has clearly had or seen these types of problems and dealings and makes them believable for us. Ben's every minute seems to be a new choice, some of the choices he is able to make, others are made for him and he either has to accept them or attempt to change them. But with every minute comes the possibility that Ben's life could be changed for the better or the worse. Which might explain why he is always nervous and on edge.
The performances in "Happened" are good and add to the overall fabric of the story. But I have to ask again; will most people even care about this film? Will they flock to a theater to see it? Will they even enjoy it when they have the opportunity to watch it on DVD or cable? I don't think so. For this reason, "Happened" falls short of "Wag The Dog" and it's more universal message and story.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Hollywood insider satire - Poorly marketed as a hilarious comedy, February 24, 2009
The misleading ad campaign for "What Just Happened" is a problem. The trailers and blurbs promote it as a kind of laugh a minute comedy. Aside from a few brief moments, it's not funny. I understand satire and irony, but the marketing left me blindsided. Unfortunately, it doesn't really work as a drama either because it's not very interesting. These are unhappy people - greedy, desperate, ego-driven, neurotic, and/or substance abusing. It's hard to become involved with the characters or care what happens to them.
This is an "inside Hollywood" story, adapted from the autobiography of producer, Art Linson. It begins at a test screening of a new action movie, "Fiercely." In the film-within-the-film, the bad guys shoot the protagonist (Sean Penn) and then they shoot his dog...in the head. The audience, which seems to have been making an effort to get into the film up to this point, is totally turned off by the dead dog scene. The funniest thing in "What Just Happened" is the bit with comment cards filled in by the test audience, some illustrated with full page drawings of the finger and choice two word remarks indicating their displeasure. (One wonders if these were actual comment cards turned in after a screening of "What Just Happened.")
Robert DeNiro plays, Ben, a Hollywood producer struggling to save his current project so that the studio will allow it to be screened at Cannes. The studio insists that the dead dog scene has got to go, which causes untold angst for the director.
Ben is also trying to get his next project underway, an action picture starring Bruce Willis. Bruce shows up on the set overweight and with a full beard. When Ben asks him to shave the beard for his role, Bruce throws a violent, screaming tantrum about violations of his "artistic integrity". (Allegedly based on an experience Linson had with Alec Baldwin while filming "The Edge.")
He is a desperate man, wandering through the movie with a bluetooth device that seems to be surgically attached to his ear as he attempts to resolve two seemingly ridiculous issues. In between soothing overinflated egos, meeting with potential backers and negotiating with studio executives, we see vignettes of Ben interacting with three children he doesn't spend enough time with, an ex-wife, and a soon to be ex-wife for whom he still has feelings. He's also feeling a little sad and nostalgic - for the houses.
The movie is probably pretty accurate regarding Hollywood industry details and lifestyles but, for the most part, this just comes across as whiny and grossly self indulgent. I suspect this movie works best for those who work in the film industry, or those who just can't look away from a bad traffic accident. I'm giving it one and a half stars only because the dog looked good on the red carpet in Cannes.
The DVD offers a choice of English audio tracks in either 5.1 or 2.0 Dolby Digital. Spanish subtitles are available. Special features include an audio commentary with Director/Producer, Barry Levinson and Writer/Producer, Art Linson; deleted scene; behind the scenes, casting sessions; "making of...." and "no animals were harmed..." .
Not recommended.
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