Review of What Just Happened (2008) by Steve A — 29 Mar 2009

This film is an acquired taste and probably not for those looking for a good story to unfold, but definitely not as bad as some people make out. Its not new ground for Levinson who's "Wag the Dog" gave a brief glimpse into the role of a Hollywood producer, albeit heavily parodied.

While De Niro is quite good here as the protagonist, ironically someone like Hoffman may have been a better choice to portray the neurotic producer instead (the role he played in the "Wag the Dog" opposite De Niro).

This is different in its style to say Woody Allen's "Celebrity", and more recently Stiller's "Tropic Thunder" (other films that touch upon Hollywood as subject matter), the humour is more dry here, not to mention the subtle Hollywood jokes you will not get if you're not familar with how the industry works.

Overall there is a good balance in this which keeps the realism in place, supported by great cameos by Sean Penn and Bruce Willis who play themselves. And you wonder why there are so many "Director's Cut" versions of films coming out all the time.