Ever wonder what an episode of Entourage"" would be like if you took away the wisecracks, the gratuitous nudity and added a whole lot of melodrama? Director Barry Levinson has answered that question with his new film ""What Just Happened."" Although the movie proves Robert De Niro is still a talented actor despite his old age, the film is entirely too self-referential and is full of the kind of Hollywood ""in"" jokes that are good for a laugh but aren't sufficient for driving the plot of a film.
Robert De Niro plays Ben, a struggling producer who has more on his plate than he can actually handle. His new film is testing badly with audiences, but his crazy director (Michael Wincott) refuses to change anything about his ""masterpiece,"" afraid it might lose its edge. While the film's star, Sean Penn, (playing himself) seems to think the final cut is great, the studio head (Catherine Keener) wants it re-cut.
Meanwhile, Ben's new film is unable to get off the ground because Bruce Willis (continuing the ""in"" references by playing himself) has shown up to the set overweight and with a beard that would make Santa Claus blush. If he doesn't shave, the studio is going to shut down production and sue Ben for everything he's worth. Meanwhile, Ben is paying alimony for three children from two marriages and still pines for his ex-wife Kelly (Robin Wright Penn).
Audiences will sympathize with Ben's plight, watching De Niro try to stay calm and collected while his world crumbles around him. However, none of the other characters are ever examined in-depth, and because of this, the audience never connects with what is a star-studded but under-used supporting cast.
Furthermore, scenes in the film which could have been used for additional drama or comedic value are largely wasted.
When Ben stakes out his ex-wife's house and sees her with a fellow Hollywood bigwig (Stanley Tucci), he leaves in a huff. The film then cuts to the next morning, where Ben is doing yoga and is startled by a young starlet who wonders aloud whether he remembers the night after all the ecstasy he took. Despite the potential drama had this portion of the plot been pursued, the moment is gone and forgotten before the audience can blink.
As said before, ""What Just Happened"" plays like an episode of ""Entourage."" Ben's character is a sad-sack version of ""Entourage's"" Ari Gold, always lying through his teeth to keep his constituents happy, and struggling to keep his business afloat. Despite De Niro performing well in his minimalist role, the audience is left throughout the film waiting for the moment when his character breaks down, lets loose or really loses control.
Instead, questions the audience never cared about in the first place are left unanswered, making ""What Just Happened"" feel like the movie version of tofu. Sure, you ate something, but did it actually taste like anything? Do you even remember? As audiences leave the theater, the first thing out of their mouths will be the title of the movie, but in this case, hearing ""What Just Happened"" is not a good thing.
Grade: C
