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"Hollywood is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There is also a negative side." Bruce Willis, paraphrasing Hunter S. Thompson in Levinson's wry, if somewhat slight, showbiz satire.

Loosely based on legendary producer Art Linson's best selling memoirs, What Just Happened catalogues the many trials and tribulations a man must endure to operate within the Hollywood system. DeNiro plays Ben, steering an art-house movie starring Sean Penn through decidedly choppy waters. After a disastrous test screening of Feircely, studio chief Lou (Keener) forces Ben to recut the ending, much to the dismay of the film's director Jeremy (Wincott), a drug-addled maniac who has no qualms about biting the hands that feed. Meanwhile, the director of Ben's other project is wrestling with his irate star Bruce Willis, who refuses to shave off his beard for the part. And if it wasn't difficult enough making the deadline for these two wayward projects, Ben has two ex-wives and a teenage daughter to deal with as well.

Shot in less than a month on a low budget, What Just Happened has a fresh, immediate feel to it. With a frenetic score and rapid-fire edits, it makes a refreshing change from the overblown studio projects it seeks to satirise. This is Levinson and DeNiro's second screen outing, following 1997's Wag The Dog, and the two work well together. DeNiro's laconic performance is bolstered by some excellent supporting roles, chiefly John Turturro as Willis' anxiety stricken agent, and Wincott's crazed British Director Jeremy. Willis and Penn lend a hand with solid A-List cameos, but the film lacks the satirical impact it appears to be aiming for. While there are many laugh out loud moments, and the proceedings move along at a jaunty pace, the comedy never reaches a crescendo, and the plot is often predictable.

Linson's reluctance to name names will also disappoint fans of the book. A veteran producer with over forty credits to his name, Linson has seen some truly inexcusable behaviour from some of Tinsletown's most familiar faces. These appalling and frequently hilarious antics were dutifuly transcribed in his 2002 memoir. This adaptation, while entertaining, plays it safe.