Film Review: “What Just Happened”

Ben is a hot-shot Hollywood producer trying to patch up his relationship with his second ex-wife (Penn), all while managing a career that is in crisis due to a dead dog and bearded, overweight and ill-tempered Bruce Willis. There are some very funny moments and the cast is strong. Willis is great as he unleashes his inner diva, Turturro shines as a nebbish, nerve-wracked agent and Wincott is entertaining as a director in the midst of a meltdown. However, the film just never really comes together. The satire isn’t as sharp as it could be, the events feel disjointed and since it’s a Hollywood film about Hollywood, it all comes off as very “inside baseball.” There’s a lot going on, but not a whole lot to care about. It’s a better attempt than Levinson’s previous work, the schizophrenic Man of the Year, but it ultimately just left me cold. What just happened? Not much of interest.