The Monuments Men

Director: George Clooney

Cast: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman

Genre: Action/Drama/War/Biography 2014

Running time: 110 mins.

Rating:★★

Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, the film is an action drama focusing on an unlikely World War II platoon, tasked by FDR with going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners. It would be an impossible mission: with the art trapped behind enemy lines, and with the German army under orders to destroy everything as the Reich fell, how could these guys - seven museum directors, curators, and art historians, all more familiar with Michelangelo than the M-1 - possibly hope to succeed? But as the Monuments Men, as they were called, found themselves in a race against time to avoid the destruction of 1000 years of culture, they would risk their lives to protect and defend mankind's greatest achievements.

Religious paintings are being taken down in a cathedral, a priest is going in hiding with new clothes, and taken away in a truck. But why? Only unnecessary suspense music to make known to the audience that the Nazis are the ones stealing Renaissance artwork. Then you get an overly patriotic cock-a-bullshit art history lesson from George Clooney's character and how it's their duty to make sure the statue of David is still standing. The way of how the beginning series of events are about to prevail before the actual mission is very reminiscent of 1940's films and Sixties' James Bond films, especially in cinematography and dialogue. Which is sort of appropriate for the time period that it's portraying, but it's a little like reinventing the wheel. Cate Blanchett's and John Goodman's porformances seems to be the only thing making the film worth while seeing. Matt Damon and George Clooney's performances are annoying and campy, I rather go through jury duty selection again instead. Prior to going to the theater, I for one second or rather hoped that for once Bill Murray would actual be in a non-comedy role, but naive me was mislead. The film tries to make the horrors of WWII joyful, comical, and the American duty to save the day like Captain America. 

On a positive note, the composition of the countryside, train station, and architecture over in Europe is beautiful as well as reflects the decay of war upon them. The costume design in its muted browns, grays, blues, and crimson wonderfully reflects the hardship that war brings, psychologically and psychically. Finally, the Dirty Dozen rip-off makes the film a bore because again the film seems try to reinvent the wheel. Though, as an artist, this true story is kind of awesome!