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Released 28th November 2008
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Art Linson’s screenplay adaptation of his compelling, best-selling memoir of life as a high-powered Hollywood producer is weight enough behind an already solidly-grounded project. But add an amazing heavyweight cast of Robert De Niro, Sean Penn and Bruce Willis to a wonderfully sharp-witted satire, and it’s a recipe for success. Deliciously, darkly humorous, strikingly poignant, and incredibly frank in a pseudo-documentary style at times, this is as close an insight into the ever-intriguing Hollywood machine that us, mere mortals, will get. It’s the often dull, immensely ugly, and nerve-shreddingly thankless part of the whole movie business, behind the glitz and the glamour, that keeps the Hollywood wheels oiled and inflated egos in tact, and Linson and director Barry Levinson’s razor-sharp comedy expertly and, seemingly, effortlessly addresses this.
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De Niro is flawlessly cast as Ben, a big-shot producer struggling to stay in the cut-throat Hollywood game, whilst juggling two failed marriages, the prima donna director of his latest controversial film-verging-on-flop, and a crazed, egotistical movie star with a facial-hair obsession (hilariously portrayed by Willis). De Niro injects, without over-cooking the role, just the right subtle blend of unflinching professionalism and patience, unsettling paranoia, and tragic personal struggle into Ben to make him absolutely credible and relatable. In a way, many will connect with Ben’s daily plight in performing other high-powered roles, regardless of ever having worked in the movie business. This film speaks to those tormented souls trying to find time to live, rather than just survive the daily grind, whilst seeking out valuable time with loved ones. De Niro is genuinely moving as Ben, and it’s hard not to empathise with his fall from grace at the end, considering all the effort he puts in. At the same time, Ben has similar repugnant attributes to those characters more noticeably vile around him, and is as blemished as the rest, trapped by the money and greed for power, whilst terrified of failure — both personally and professionally. It strikes a chord for many.
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Other laudable performances that bolster the film’s five-star appeal come from Bruce Willis as a raving-mad version of himself, who stubbornly refuses to shave off a grizzly beard for a new action part and, in turn, jeopardizes the whole production, whilst goading the money men into challenging his star power — including Ben. You can’t help but wonder whether Willis has had near-identical tantrums in real life, but it’s clear just how much fun he had playing the role. The ever-talented John Turturro is priceless as the ulcer-peppered and shattered agent Dick Bell who represents Willis, but spends most of his time avoiding him because he’s scared to death of him. Oh, the irony: life imitating art, perhaps? There is a gloriously hilarious phone-call scene where Dick tells Ben that calling Willis about shaving the beard off before he’s eaten is a very bad time indeed. It further highlights the highly-strung nature of the industry, and the sickening pampering and tip-toeing around done to stay in the game and, more importantly, at the top. Similarly, Michael Wincott is truly impressive as rebellious, drug-addled Brit director and lovey (with striking parallels to a Keith-Richards-styled character that others, including Johnny Depp, have previously adopted), Jeremy Brunell, who refuses to compromise his creation for the sake of tough studio boss Lou (Catherine Keener). Cue film crisis meeting paddy, complete with flying sweets, and Ben’s excuse for Jeremy that it’s the ‘jet lag’. Full credit, too, to Robin Wright Penn as Ben’s long-suffering ex, Kelly, and Stanley Tucci as a two-faced scriptwriter who is having an affair with Kelly, much to Ben’s surprise and dismay. The commendations and memorable moments go on…
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Hot on the success of Levinson’s previous Wag the Dog, What Just Happened? is equally astute, as well as marvellously understated and sumptuously humorous as it is bitterly unreserved and depressingly agonising. It’s the human side of Hollywood without the tinsel.
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By Lisa Keddie
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Synopsis
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A satirical comedy about two nail-biting, back-stabbing, roller-coaster weeks in the life of Ben (Robert De Niro), a middle aged Hollywood producer trying to juggle his work and private life in tinsel town.
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Ben is already in over his head trying to balance the tug-of-war of having two ex-wives and two different families with his latest business venture - the boldly “visionary” movie Fiercely starring Sean Penn (played by himself) when everything that can go wrong, does go wrong.
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Fiercely looks like it is going to be an audience-offending flop which the hard nosed studio chief Lou (Catherine Keener), insists will only see the light day if Ben convinces drug-addled director Jeremy (Michael Wincott) to re cut the finished product.
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Meanwhile in his private life, he can’t stop thinking about his ex, Kelly (Robin Wright Penn), is shocked by his daughter Zoe (Kristen Stewart) in her readiness to grow up and infuriated with his friend Scott (Stanley Tucci) who’s not only trying to make a deal with him but also making moves on his former wife…
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On his next project he’s trying to deal with the artistic temperament of his leading man; Bruce Willis (played by himself) whilst receiving no support from Bruce Willis‘ spineless agent Dick (John Turturro).
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Somehow amidst the madness, treachery, deceit, huge egos and personal politics behind-the-scenes in Hollywood, Ben has to find a way not just to Cannes with a finished film, but to cope and keep his sanity…
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Film Facts
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Official UK site: http://www.whatjusthappenedthemovie.co.uk/
UK release date: 28th November 2008
Director: Barry Levinson
Writer: Art Linson
Cast: Robert De Niro (’Ben’), Bruce Willis (’Himself’), Sean Penn (’Himself’), Stanley Tucci (’Scott Solomon’), John Turturro (’Dick Bell’), Robin Wright Penn (’Kelly’), Michael Wincott (’Jeremy Brunell’), Kristen Stewart (’Zoe’)
UK Distributor: Pathe Films
Certificate: 15
Run-time: TBC
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Video on Real.com
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Trailer:
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EXCLUSIVE CLIP:
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Robert De Niro and writer Art Linson at London press conference:
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