What Just Happened (2008)

Rated: R for language, some violent images, sexual content and some drug material.
Length: 107 minutes
Grade: DNF
Budget: $25 million
Box Office: $5 million (1 U.S., 4 Intl., DVD)

Written by: Art Linson (No writing credits, but he produced Into the Wild, Black Dahlia, Lords of Dogtown, Spartan, Heist, Fight Club, Pushing Tin, Singles, Untouchables, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High)
Directed by: Barry Levinson (Man of the Year, Wag the Dog, Disclosure, Rain Man, Good Morning Vietnam, Tin Men, The Natural, and Diner…but everything good he’s done was over a decade long time ago)
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Stanley Tucci, John Turturro, Bruce Willis, Kristin Stewart, Robin Wright Penn, Catherine Keener, Sean Penn, and Michael Wincott.

Summary:

A famous Hollywood producer struggles to save his career when a big movie flops and he doesn’t seem able to get anyone do the things they’re supposed to do in his movies.

Comments:

Even a really powerful and successful Hollywood producer doesn’t necessarily know how to write a good movie. And even a formerly great Hollywood director doesn’t necessarily know how to direct a good movie anymore. And even if you put a bunch of very successful actors in the flop these two guys cook up, it doesn’t necessarily produce a good movie. This is self-indulgent and unentertaining semi-autobiography (I presume). We made it 35 minutes into this before deciding that the first five minutes hadn’t been lying. The only reason we continued that long was the names involved, who probably did this worthless movie as a personal favor to Art Linson. The only possible redeeming value here would be to rub the face of the audience in the fact that we’re dumb enough to believe that a bunch of names make for a great movie. Other messages? Hollywood is a cesspool of stupidity and egomania? Oh, I didn’t realize that before. Thank you for clarifying.