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Critics Consensus: What Just Happened has some inspired comic moments, but this inside-baseball take on Hollywood lacks satirical bite.
Critic Consensus: What Just Happened has some inspired comic moments, but this inside-baseball take on Hollywood lacks satirical bite.
All Critics (141) | Top Critics (37) | Fresh (71) | Rotten (70) | DVD (9)
A film that feels every bit the product of its purportedly ruthless and artistically corrupting milieu.
In some ways, What Just Happened feels like an attempt to, if not make amends for moviemaking myopia, at least show how easily the contagion takes hold.
What Just Happened? is just a plain clumsy movie.
What Just Happened? has already happened and, to everyone but Levinson, that shouldn't be surprising.
The sharpest Hollywood satire since The Player.
The problem with Hollywood movies about the Hollywood film industry is: You've seen one, you've seen them all.
The laboured, almost morose storytelling style doesn't help.
The satire lacks the bite of The Player.
Precise, smart, and very funny in its specifics but rather clumsy and obvious when it comes to the big picture.
Worth seeing, especially for people interested in the inner workings of the Hollywood machine, but don't go in expecting a laugh a minute.
It's a pungent film about Hollywood power and a useful manual for young producers on how to stay upright in Hollywood or at least, how to lose your soul with grace.
It's not Bowfinger but it's well worth the ticket.
Ben: You're an agent. Delivering bad news is part of your job description. "Admit nothing." What Just Happened? is a decent attempt at bringing Hollywood to a more honest light. Not everything seems to work, but there's a lot of great stuff going on in the film. We're given a great cast, a decent story, and a terrific director in Barry Levinson. As the film runs along, I was always interested. This movie hasn't gotten a lot of slack and it all just seems unjustified to me. Sure the movie isn't a masterpiece, but it's a serviceable drama with some great performances. A Hollywood film producer is being overcome by many negative factors that he has to deal with in his job. He's going through the divorce process, he has a movie that isn't being received well, that they need to recut, but a director who doesn't want to change it, and also another movie with a star actor(Bruce Willis as Bruce Willis), who doesn't want to shave his beard. He has to take all this on at the same time and still try to keep his sanity. Robert De Niro delivers a pretty good role here as the struggling producer. He's backed up by a good supporting cast that includes Stanley Tucci, Bruce Willis, Catherine Keener, Sean Penn, and Kristen Stewart. The cast is outstanding and that's what makes the movie work just enough. The cast makes the kind of boring story a lot more entertaining. In the end the film is worth a look and I enjoyed it. It has moments that are funny, if in an off the wall sort of way, but funny nonetheless. Also some of the satire on Hollywood is quite aggressive and interesting. Maybe all of it isn't completely original, but the way it's presented makes for a good time.
Super Reviewer
What Just Happened? Is a unique comedy that has plenty of laughs. The comedy displayed on screen is off the wall, and may not appeal to a large audience, but this film manages to be a lot of fun. I thought the plot, though at times was well thought out, and the story was interesting, and not your average comedy. Watching this, you have to have an open mind, and immerse yourself into the story. Director Barry Levinson has made a terrific film. Some may not enjoy this, and others may be skeptical about watching it, but What Just Happened? manages to be a very well made comedy with brains. The cast are terrific and Robert De Niro is great in the part he plays another great performance is that of Michael Wincott. Wincott a very funny director who is making the film seen in this film. He suffers from a kind of breakdown once the studio threatens to recut the film after a negative screening of the film. I loved this film, I thought it had a well written story that managed to be funny, and above all the cast was great. If it would've been a different cast, I think this film wouldn't be as good as it was. There are of course questionable names in the cast such as Kristen Stewart, but she has such a minimal part, that the viewer won't even have the time Levinson has made another great film. If you like this type of Humor, then check this one out. What Just Happened? Is fairly underrated and it shouldn't get the flack it has received.
Who cares.
What Just Happened reminded me of Entourage, from beginning to end. I expected Vince and the boys to come sauntering on screen at any second. That never happened, but the movie still managed to be entertaining. The basic story is about a few days in the life of a movie producer. Robert DeNiro stars as the main character, and I have to say that he fit the role pretty well. He has to deal with his ex-wives, difficult actors, studio bosses, high-strung directors, and other situations that threaten to overwhelm him. Nothing huge or flashy happens, the movie basically goes from small situation to small situation...but they all add up by the end of the story. Good stuff. Oh, and Bruce Willis absolutely steals the show. He was hilarious every time he was on screen.
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