Director: Barry Levinson
(known for ‘Good Morning Vietnam’, ‘Wag the Dog’, ‘Sleepers’, and ‘Sphere’.)
A satirical comedy with dramatic undertones, ‘What Just Happened’ (2008) is a rich examination of the inner workings of Hollywood – complete with an array of celebrity appearances, self-referential humour aimed at industry insiders, and Robert De Niro in the lead role as a foundering movie producer trying to get his career back on track.
Cynical self-deprecation and “in jokes” are sprinkled in amongst observational takes about romance, life, and perpetual hardships of the rich and powerful.
Delivered in a surprisingly refreshing format – ‘What Just Happens’ wins you over early in the film with its attention to detail, intimate shooting style, engaging acting, top tier sound design, even & dynamic pacing, expertly executed scene transitions, and well-thought out dialogue. I could go on listing the things it does right, instead let’s jump into the finer details of what makes this piece of cinema such an accomplishment – and why you should give this under-appreciated comedy from 2008 a first viewing or rewatch.
ACTING
Main Actors: Robert De Niro, Bruce Willis, Sean Penn, Robin Wright (Penn), John Turturro, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Stewart, and Catherine Keener
Robert De Niro forgoes a lot of the bravado that’s present in some of his other comedic roles and goes for a more nuanced take. This is a big, big bonus.
Don’t get me wrong – when De Niro gives his usual turn as a gruff, antagonistic, paternal figure of sorts; I’m here for it. He was funny as all hell in ‘Meet the Parents’, and ‘Meet the Fockers’, and I’ve only heard good things about ‘Dirty Grandpa’ (haven’t seen it yet myself but it’s on my watchlist); ‘Analyze This’ and ‘Analyze That’ were both critically acclaimed and “audience pleasers” – both films I’ve loved since their release, over two decades ago, and he’s far less restrained in those roles, especially the sequel. De Niro stars opposite Billy Crystal – the former playing a gangster who pursues psychiatric counseling from the latter. Billy Crystal was already considered to be uproariously funny but it was De Niro who really surprised folks, by playing an amalgamation or pastiche of his previous “tough-guy” roles and adding a heavy dose of wise-guy humour.[1]
“Robert De Niro had done comedy before “Analyze This.” He was sensational as the straight arrow in “Midnight Run.” Even further back than that, he was magnetic as the disturbed stand-up in “King of Comedy,” which, depending on your point-of-view, was a comedy, a thriller, or a horror movie. But Analyze This,” which celebrates its 25th anniversary this month, was different from those previous attempts at being funny. The film capitalized on the imposing onscreen persona audiences had come to know—the young Vito Corleone from “The Godfather Part II,” the aging Jimmy Conway in “Goodfellas”—and gave it a wry twist. The performances we love him for, he was about to spoof.” [1]
-Tim Grierson of Roger Ebert.com
But my point is this: De Niro goes for this over-the-top approach with comedy more often than not, so it’s really nice when he underplays the punch-line, and gives you the “soft sell” so to speak. There are moments in this film that had me chuckling, then laughing, then braying like an idiot, and all from the smallest of expressions and the slightest “wink and nod” delivery. A lot of the jokes are built on the idea that this character differs so much from De Niro’s typical fare.
For example, there’s a scene in which ‘Bruce Willis’ (played by none other than the actual Bruce Willis) is freaking out in a set-trailer and just wrecking the place. The reason is hilarious in itself (he has to shave his beard for the role but just outright refuses) but what’s even funnier is the bemused look on Ben’s (Robert De Niro) face as Willis screams and rages.
In any other film De Niro would not be standing there like that – however in ‘What Just Happened’ he’s a producer who deals with stars behaving like this on a daily basis, so he just sort of nods and smiles, screams a little back; but never unleashes his anger like you would expect Travis Bickel, Vito Corleone, or Ace (from Casino) to.
Robin Wright star of Netflix’s hit-series ‘House of Cards’ plays the estranged wife of Ben the producer (De Niro) and any moments between her character and Ben act as the through-line for the film. A useful device for stitching together unrelated scenes and providing an overall cohesion for the visual narrative. Her acting here is high calibre and usually is, you can tell that De Niro and Wright have plenty of on-screen chemistry – two classically trained actors that really elevate the divorce-counseling scenes, which could otherwise have come off as dry or mechanical.
This isn’t the case at all; I found myself engrossed in the discussions between them and it really helped to paint a picture of the character development that took place prior to the beginning of our story, you get to know them both through their backstories of quarreling and the way they battle for the shrink’s attention during a session.
Robin Wright (credited for the film as Robin Wright Penn, due to her marriage to now ex-husband Sean Penn, who appears in the film) is such a talented actor, her ability to emote is on full display and if you’ve seen other performances by her; rest assured, she’s got plenty of time to shine in this film, and puts it to very good use. Every line is read with resounding intention and investment in character; something that the actress achieves 90% of the time in any other acting she does. One drawback is that the performance is not highly transformative. But that’s fine.
Not every role needs “the method” applied. Transformations should be used sparingly, an actor’s filmography needs to be varied afterall.[2]
“Playing Yourself vs Method Acting: A Comparison
March 15, 2023
Acting is a fascinating art form that requires creativity, imagination, and dedication. There are different approaches to acting, but two popular ones are playing yourself and method acting. While playing yourself involves playing a role using your natural personality, method acting involves immersing oneself in a character to bring it to life. In this article, we’ll explore the differences between playing yourself and method acting, and highlight the benefits of each approach.
Introduction
Acting is a creative profession that allows us to explore different characters and personas. There are many ways to approach acting, but two popular methods are playing yourself and method acting. Both approaches have their pros and cons, and it’s important to understand them to determine which one works best for you.” [2]
–DavidGenik.com
She commits to the piece, and every scene she’s in benefits from it. Her on-screen presence is alluring and similar to Cate Blanchette or Tilda Swindon she projects an air of gravitas, something that allowed Wright to play the prominent “Claire Underwood” to a tee in ‘House of Cards’.
And yes, I am a diehard fan of HoC (when is Netflix doing another season?) but I am being subjective here – I think Robin Wright really helped to embody ‘What Just Happened’ with the required character-depth (or fullness) to help make it an emotionally stimulating experience.
And yeah, I’m giving the movie a much better rating than the rest of the critics (or the majority of em’ anyway) because that’s what a free-thinker does, right?
Or maybe I was just in a good mood when I watched the damn thing, I don’t know.
Criticism is subjective – ain’t it.
I’m going to touch on shooting techniques and the rest of the cast involved, in the next installment – almost made this review a three part-er but I held back. Seems like a lot of blogging content to focus on one obscure property from 2008.
Even if it is an unexpected gem of a movie. Which it is.
RATING:
8.5/10
‘What Just Happened’ was produced by Magnolia Pictures
________
Sources:
[1]https://www.rogerebert.com/features/analyze-this-deniro
[2]https://www.davidgenik.com/blog/playing-yourself-vs-method-acting-a-comparison
