inside job
A wry look at modern Hollywood from the inside out, “What Just Happened” is the newest offering from Barry Levinson, the man behind “Good Morning Vietnam,” (but also “The Perfect Storm,” so let’s not get ahead of ourselves — what is more dull than Mark Wahlberg in a maritime setting?).
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It chronicles two weeks in the life of Ben (Robert De Niro), a producer struggling for relevance as Hollywood leaves him behind. Ben’s current project sees him working alongside a tantrum-throwing director with an extremely artistic temperament to wrap up an action thriller scheduled to debut at Cannes. After an ill-received test screening, execs are keen to cut the ending, much to the director’s outrage and Ben’s despair. While a sturdy plot, the most interesting scenes by far are found in the floundering relationship between Ben and his ex-wife (Robin Wright-Penn) and the superficial monotony of his sinking career. After a spell of dented credibility (I’m not even going to touch “Meet the Fockers”) De Niro’s performance isn’t a triumphant return to form as such, but rather an indication that he’s down but not out. Bruce Willis and Sean Penn turn in amusing but inconsequential performances as themselves, with Willis’ at times highlighting that while adept at throwing Alan Rickman off skyscrapers, subtle comedy may not be his strong suit. Despite momentary flashes of satirical greatness, “What Just Happened” is content with treading water and fails to reach its full potential for a subject matter that offers such broad scope. Barbed criticism and exaggerated characters are as far as things go, while the many cameos fail to keep it afloat (plus there’s a little too much boxer-clad De Niro than is comfortable.) A solid effort overall, but don’t be expecting an uprising in the Paramount lot any time soon. “What Just Happened?” opens in Moscow on Dec. 11. |
