Ben (Robert DeNiro), a producer desperate to svae his career, must deal witha director's film that no one loves the ending
and Bruce Willis who won't shave his bread in addition to his personal problems. WHAT JUST HAPPENED is a funny insider's look
at how it is to be on the inside of the Hollywood game when it comes to making movies. It is based on the memoir
by Art Linson. Robert DeNiro loved it and got it turned into a screenplay and it became a movie.
Ben has a movie FIERCELY (starring Sean Penn) that bombs at the test screening. The studio head (Catherine
Keener) wants the ending (where the dog gets shot in the head) changed before the film is sent to the Cannes film
festival. Then Ben also have to deal with Bruce Willis who has grown a Grizzly Adams bread that everyone wants
shaved off (but Bruce throws a fit and swears). Also Ben deals with his two ex-wives (the second he is still in
love with and goes to therapy with) and kids (his teenage daughter is shut off and secretive like him).
WHAT JUST HAPPENED is the best film to look at the inside world of Hollywood since THE PLAYER. It doesn't try to
overexaggerate it like TROPIC THUNDER. It takes the real things that happened and twist it into a fictional narrative
inspired by the real things that go into the making of film and the politics of Hollywood.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Audio commentary with Director/ Producer Barry Levinson and Writer/ Producer Art Linson
Out of the three deleted scenes, I wish the Cannes epilogue stayed in because I think it is a better end to the film.
Casting sessions for 12 of the minor supporting parts and BEHIND-THE-SCENES and the NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING
OF THIS MOVIE featurettes are included on the disc also but they are two three minute featurette that offer nothing and are
wasteful promo fluff.
MAKING OF WHAT JUST HAPPENED: FROM BOOK TO SCRIPT TO SCREEN- features interviews with Robert DeNiro (who wanted to turn
the book into a movie), Art Linson (who first thought he couldn't turn his insider's book into a script), and Barry Levinson
(who relates to the Hollywood process and uses Fight Club as an example).
FINAL ANALYSIS: WHAT JUST HAPPENED is the best movie about Hollywood since THE PLAYER.
this DVD Review is (c)3-5-2009 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com
