Review of What Just Happened (2008) by Alex V — 11 Mar 2009

I feel kind of strange about this movie. There wasn't necessarily anything too wrong with it; my issue turned out to be that none of it was right enough. I laughed every now and then, got a little enjoyment here and there, but everything just felt on the cusp of great satire, just on the tip of Levinson's proverbial tongue, ready to pull down Hollywood's pants and give it the spanking it deserves. But, unfortunately, it never quite got the balls to go the full monty, and only managed to tickle that seamy underbelly without getting too down and dirty. In short I felt like I got figuratively blue-balled a bit.

Robert De Niro kinda looked like he was dialing it in, as he never really becomes incredibly in-tune with the rest of the movie, and as a result isn't too effective of a main character. He's more of a vessel to take us through this roller coaster, really. The supporting performances are more inspired, especially John Turturro as a neurotic agent who suffers from stomach cramps, and Bruce Willis playing a hilarious tantrum-throwing caricature of himself.

It's off-the-wall and biting moments like those involving these characters that really make up the movie, as well as a few scenarios revolving around such slightly tasteless topics as shooting a dog and uncovering love affairs at a funeral. Unfortunately, these moments don't come often enough, and the film spends most of its running time on auto-pilot. Passable entertainment, neutered satire.