What Just Happened has some inspired comic moments, but this inside-baseball take on Hollywood lacks satirical bite. Read critic reviews
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What Just Happened? Photos
Movie Info
During the course of an ordinary week in Hollywood, movie producer Ben must navigate his way through shark-infested waters as he struggles to complete his latest projects. A demanding studio boss demands extensive changes to a movie starring Sean Penn, while another chief won't greenlight a project unless star Bruce Willis shaves his beard. Meanwhile, Ben tries to reconcile with his wife and maintain a relationship with his young daughter.
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Rating: R (Sexual Content|Language|Some Drug Material|Some Violent Images)
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Genre: Comedy, Drama
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Original Language: English
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Director: Barry Levinson
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Producer: Robert De Niro, Art Linson, Jane Rosenthal, Barry Levinson
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Writer: Art Linson
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Release Date (Theaters): limited
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Box Office (Gross USA): $1.1M
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
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Production Co: 2929 Productions, Linson Films, Tribeca Productions
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News & Interviews for What Just Happened?
Critic Reviews for What Just Happened?
Audience Reviews for What Just Happened?
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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.
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Robert De Niro gives a low-key comic performance as Ben, a fading Hollywood producer whose latest film, directed by a mercurial, temperamental, egotistical British director Jeremy Brunell (Michael Wincott) and starring Sean Penn has a disastrous test screening because the arty director insists on killing off not only the hero but also, unforgivably, his dog. And Ben's next movie may not get made at all because his lead star, Bruce Willis reports to work for Ben's next film overweight and sporting a bushy beard he refuses to shave. Meanwhile, our beleaguered protagonist has a chaotic personal life. He is living in a soulless plastic-and-chrome apartment, has an ex-wife he can't totally let go of while thinking she might be sleeping with a writer (Stanley Tucci) he knows, and dealing with his rebellious teenage daughter who was having an affair with a much older agent who had just committed suicide. Inevitably, there comes the climactic scene in which the final cut of "Fiercely" makes its debut at the Cannes Film Festival. Will Jeremy Brunell stick to his guns and release a sure-fire failure, or will he bow to the whims of powerful producers and release a blockbuster? I guess you must watch it now to find out the answer to that question.
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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.
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The film was ok but it could have been so much better. The film reminded me too much of the movie, The Player. I felt like I have seen De Niro, Keener, Turturro, and Tucci play these types of roles before in other movies. I think it would have been better if other actors were cast in those roles, offering a fresh take on these types of characters. The pacing is a bit off. On the positive, Bruce Willis is hilarious in the film and every scene he is in, is funny. The screening at Cannes reminded me of the TV show Entourage when they had the screening of their film at Cannes.
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