What Just Happened?

How have the internal machinations of the film industry changed since Robert Altman expertly dissected them with the biting satire of THE PLAYER (1992)? Not a whole lot, according to this witty picture from Barry Levinson, which has been crafted from Hollywood producer Art Linson's memoir of the same name. WHAT JUST HAPPENED? follows film producer Ben (Robert De Niro) as he deals with precocious directors and stars, tends to the needs of various ex-wives, and makes multi-million-dollar deals from his car. The film mixes fantasy and reality, with Sean Penn and Bruce Willis playing themselves, while a fictional director (played by Michael Wincott) and producer (played by Catherine Keener) feud over the editing of a new feature. Ben finds himself stuck in the middle of their wrangling while also striving to persuade the cantankerous Willis to shave off a newly grown beard, or else face the cancellation of a huge-budget feature. <br> <br> Levinson's film proficiently highlights the behind-the-scenes absurd... Minimize