What Just Happened? Reviews

[Highly rated reviewer]

What just happened indeed

I went along to see What Just Happened, which was probably the reaction of most of the audience. I've thought about it quite a bit and still don't really know what to make of it. I'm not sure at all that the makers knew what kind of film they were making. I thought the tone was all over the place, that the pacing was wildly erratic - in fact I think there's two different films in there trying to get out. I realise what they were trying to do, to make a film that shows someone with an incredibly busy life, full of stresses, trying to cope but for me it didn't work. For example, one of the first things he did was pick his two young kids, from his first wife, and take them to school. We never saw them or his first wife again. There wasn't even a reference to them in the remainder of the film.

I loved some of the scenes where he was trying to reconnect with his second wife. No spoilers, but there is a film in this alone. It just got cluttered up with ..... the clutter of the film. What was the reason for the manic scenes with Bruce Willis? He was a caricature of himself, as was the Director. The film could have done without them, it would then probably have been regarded as an 'intelligent satire ' on the film industry, instead it seems to be a film that lost it's way and ended up as drama that turned out to be a comedy or a comedy that turned out to be a drama but really is neither.

[Highly rated reviewer]

What DID happen?

De Niro reteams with Wag The Dog director Barry Levinson to take a look at the pitfalls of making a modern motion picture in today’s Hollywood. It’s a fairly standard affair as De Niros fading producer attempts to juggle his work and life commitments. Its not as satirical as their previous work, but does have its fair share of comedy, mostly around Ben’s handling of a neurotic director (Michael Wincott on a blinder) and also his molly coddling of an angry trumped up A-List star who refuses to shave off his beard (Bruce Willis as himself, although surely having a dig at Alec Baldwin).

It doesn’t really say a lot (Its hard to make a movie, but someones gotta do it), and also inexplicably wastes a talent like Stanley Tucci who has the potential to make your movie 10 times better. De Niro is front and centre though so its weird that there hardly seems to be any kind of performance from him. Ben just seems to wade through the trials and tribulations as if he’s just riding a wave which certainly doesn’t seem to fit considering he’s trying to stay in the higher echelons of Hollywoods influential elite. This also withdraws any kind of tension from the movie so even when things move from bad to worse you are still left as a non-plussed spectator.

There’s a nice turn from John Turturro as a wimpy agent but in all its not enough to really make this movie stand-up and be noticed, and I can only surmise that the idea for the film was probably a lot better on paper to those that where in the know.

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Seriously 'What just happened?"

film had a beautiful casting..my favourite stars, the acting by them was wonderful, full of energy but wasted on a stupid film..

customer from manchester 'what bloody moments' am in the business too & i aint lived the life of death/cheating wife/treat of losing my job/being sued/ & manic depression all in a week or less... u must be so lonely to watch that movie again...

[Highly rated reviewer]

Absolute Rubbish

Absolute Rubbish

What a waste of time!

Even if you are a Robert De Niro fan, that will not be enough to save this movie.

what just happened

cant contain a spoiler as there is no plot. The most pointless and dull film i have EVER seen....rubbish!!!!!!

Robert, why?

This film is indescribably tedious and lacking in any entertainment value. Not once were we gripped by any part of it. Presumably it would be of interest to film industry insiders, but isn't that a tiny market? Might as well make a film about the ups and downs in the life of a bachelor stamp collector. If it's meant to make us gasp at how busy the hero (?) is most of us have been there, in far less glamorous jobs, big deal.

A measure of this film's poverty is that no other has ever tempted me to write a review. Seriously, you'll get more pleasure reorganising the contents of your garage.

[Highly rated reviewer]

What Just happened................

...........very little really!

Just plain boring with a rambling dull storyline.

Avoid.

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[Highly rated reviewer]

I'll tell you what just happened...

...I wasted 2 hours of my life watching this crap!!

I was actually shocked: with a cast featuring Robert DeNiro, Sean Penn and Bruce Willis...what could go wrong?! The answer is EVERYTHING!! One of the worst storylines in the history of film, and one of those films where you're just waiting for something to acutally happen but it doesn't!

But, if you do want to watch a film that is basically focused on whether Bruce Willis will have a shave or not, knock yourself out...

something happening?

very dissapointing movie...extremly boring...and yes...when the movie finished that was my exact question: what just happened?

Not recommended and i am really sorry for De Niro because he is a great actor.

Nothing happened!

Partner and I thought this was the most tedious film we have watched for a long time! Thank goodness for fast forward button