“What Just Happened” - Movie Review by Kevin Leckerman

Hollywood is a mecca for the phonies, leeches, and backstabbers of the world. If you ever had the displeasure of making the acquaintance of an actor, director or producer in the movie industry, you know of what I write. “What Just Happened?” is an anemic attempt to pull back the curtain to expose the dysfunctional puppet masters who pull the strings in Hollywood.

In “What Just Happened?”, Robert De Niro plays Ben, a movie producer without backbone. Over a two-week period, Ben faces a number of problems with his movie productions that threaten to ruin his career. The director of his twenty million dollars, destined for Cannes, film has refused to remove a scene that test-audiences hate, which features the graphic murder of a dog. In order to convince the mercurial director to recut the film, Ben has to ply the recovering drug addict with Vicodin.

Ben is also forced to deal with a belligerent, overweight Bruce Willis (played by Bruce Willis), who refuses to shave his “Grizzly Adams” beard before shooting Ben’s blockbuster action thriller. Unless Willis shaves, the studio chief will shut down the production. Unfortunately, Willis is a prima donna who will not compromise his “artistic integrity” for anyone, much less Ben.

During this period of crisis, Ben is trying to reconcile with his second wife, Kelly (Robin Wright Penn). Obviously, Ben’s devotion to his twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week occupation was the cause for the demise of his marriage. Kelly does not let Ben forget this fact. Instead of reconciliation, Kelly is more interested in continuing their therapy sessions that are teaching them to separate with “dignity.”

Director, Barry Levinson (“Rain Man,” “Good Morning, Vietnam,” and “The Natural”) clearly wanted to lambaste Hollywood for its ethical and moral ills. From adultery to suicide to pedophilia, Levinson tackles it all. However, in addressing so many aspects of the Hollywood culture, Levinson turns into the proverbial Jack-of-all-trades but master of none. In fact, “What Just Happened?” is devoid of the insight revealed by Robert Altman’s “The Player” and series such as “Entourage” and “Californication.” Ultimately, Levinson delivers a humdrum and inconsistent film that simply pokes at the subject matters that he seeks to eviscerate.

What is most problematic for the film is the way in which Levinson portrays Ben’s character. Ben is a famous producer of major motion pictures. To rise to that position in the world that Levinson illustrates, Ben would need to be cunning and ruthless. Nevertheless, Ben exhibits neither quality. Rather, the film asks us to believe that Ben is someone who has succeeded in spite of his inability to handle unruly actors and directors. At times, Ben’s fecklessness is comical, but it is unclear whether Levinson wants us to laugh or feel sorry for the jerk. Unfortunately, it is difficult to feel either emotion.

Furthermore, Robert De Niro was utterly miscast for this role. It is clear that the term “wimp” is not in De Niro’s acting vocabulary. Throughout the film, De Niro struggles to contain his domineering personality by feigning timidity. Although De Niro has masterfully portrayed uncertainty and weakness in many of his roles, forcefulness is the common thread in his classic characters.

Frankly, going into the theatre, I expected little from Barry Levinson. He’s been creating dreck for the past sixteen years. Yet, I was hopeful that De Niro might deliver a performance equal to one of his many outstanding performances of the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s. Nonetheless, half way through “What Just Happened?,” I was asking myself, “What the F*!k Happened to De Niro’s Career?”

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