The Monuments Men (2014)

6/10

MassDistraction14 February 2014

In bringing together elements from Inglourious Basterds, Ocean's Eleven and Museum Hours, George Clooney certainly had plenty of opportunity for a rich and interesting story. War heroes who appreciate fine art played by the likes of Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray and John Goodman (plus a few "that guy"s), attempting to steal back priceless works of art from the Nazis, it sounds amazing.

So what went wrong? Well, to begin with, for a movie about a team, we're given very little time with them as a group. Almost immediately they pair off on their own little adventures. Instead of using these exploits to let us know a little more about the characters as individuals, we get the usual oddball pairings and some mildly amusing, but ultimately hollow, vignettes. Even when we lose some of our team, it really feels like nothing more than just something that happened on the trip, like "oh, and I also saw a horse." We have hardly any sense of them as a group and far less about them as people. The only character whose motivations we can understand is the one played by Cate Blanchett, but her limited chemistry with Matt Damon dooms what little redemptive quality her character had.

Also, and particularly troubling for a movie involving art, George Clooney's lens has little reverence for the work it shows. Though the film heavy-handedly ponders whether a piece of art is worth a human life, the camera never does. Even when a character lays down his life for a sculpture, it comes off less dramatic than inevitable. The film treats the works as being mostly historically significant and never finds that lover's gaze that tells the audience why.

What we're left with is a bag of spare parts. It's a popcorn movie with no setpieces. A war movie with no battles. A heist movie with no scheming. An art movie with no inspiration. Were they to have found some of Inglourious Basterds' bluster, Ocean's Eleven smarts or Museum Hour's insight, they may have found a formula that works, but that's not the movie we have here. I'll be damned if George Clooney doesn't look good in a moustache, though.

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6/10

Not nearly the worst film of 2014, but the most disappointing one so far.

mikerapuano9 February 2014

The Monuments Men is directed by George Clooney, staring himself, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, and Cate Blanchett. It tells of a group of soldiers tasked to locate and preserve pieces of art that have been stolen by the Nazis during World War II.

It's no secret that The Monuments Men was one of everyone's most anticipated movies of 2013, and looked like a solid awards contender, until it was pushed to a February release date, purportedly due to the need for more time to be spent on the special effects.

The truth is, The Monuments Men could be, and really should be much more entertaining than it is. The best part of the film, and at the same time, its major problem, is the script. There are seemingly continuous laughs coming from quick one liners and witty character interactions, which keeps the audience somewhat engaged, although with such bleak subject matter, it's debatable that a movie dealing with the eradication of an entire culture's achievements should be as lighthearted as it is. But the flaw with the script is that it seems like the first act eats up almost all of it's running time. It's as if the film is missing large portions of the actual plot to make room for massive amounts of unnecessary exposition. Secondly, the film's characters are stale and one dimensional at best. I invite anyone who sees the film to wait an hour after finishing the movie, and try to remember even three of the character's names or what their role in the mission was. There isn't a moment in the entire film where it isn't simply John Goodman or Bill Murray dressed as World War II soldiers and not fleshed out characters. Albeit all of the actors are exceedingly fun to watch, I assume that just watching all of these actors talk together at a press conference would be just about as entertaining.

The Monuments Men isn't even close to the worst movie of 2014 by a long shot, even though it is only February, but it's arguably the most disappointing film of the year as of yet. I take no pleasure in saying this, but it's noble intentions fell utterly short due to awful pacing, and forgettable characters. I haven't read the book, but I have to think that it must be much better constructed and does this fantastic real life story more justice.

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5/10

Telling an historical story comedically and missing a level of entertainment

napierslogs8 February 2014

"The Monuments Men" is a group of men (in real life around 350, and in this film 7) who are tasked with saving the historically and culturally significant monuments, fine arts and archives during World War II. They have to find and return that which the French hid and the Germans were finding and stealing and then hiding. And the film decided to tell this story comedically.

The film took a really long time to get going as they wanted it to be about the men that took on this task. But they changed their names and I also couldn't tell you a single characteristic of any of them. The men were paired off so they each had their own region to investigate, but none of that was interesting. The worst part was giving James Granger (Matt Damon) and Claire Simon (Cate Blanchett, representing the real- life heroine Rose Valland) a love story. They did have a reason for such nonsense, or how about just sticking with how it actually happened.

George Clooney has said the film is about 80% accurate, and that seems fair enough. But the problem isn't the historical inaccuracy; the problem is that the cheap humour diminishes the very people and story they're trying to empower. The humour was just a handful of lines wanting to kill Hitler and standing on a landmine. It just didn't make the film entertaining. The story could have done that but it didn't become interesting until they started discovering where the Germans hid the art. Coincidentally, the same point when the film started following the real story.

"The Monuments Men" very clearly wanted to help remember an important part of history and spark a debate about the cost of war on soldiers, civilians, and history and society. The debate is raging on, but the film missed the level of entertainment by not trusting its audience to be interested in exactly what happened.

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Bland movie telling an important story.

PWNYCNY7 February 2014

The movie deserves an A for effort but misses the mark dramatically. The question is: why? The story is evocative and the cast is excellent. Where the movie goes wrong is how it presents the story. The movie attempts to inject a whimsical element in story which is out of context. There was nothing whimsical about the plan to save priceless artwork. Also, the story moves at a slow pace and inspires little if any excitement or drama. The discoveries of the hidden artwork has little dramatic impact, nor do the interpersonal relationships between the characters which in the movie are shallow. Even the attempt at romance comes off as tepid and half-hearted, as well as implausible. The idea of a young, handsome, married American officer, alone in Paris, having dinner in the apartment of an attractive, intelligent, single French woman who made him dinner and not staying for at least another drink is a stretch. True, he is married and his faithfulness is commendable, but still .... The movie does have some strong dramatic moments, but in general the story is bland. Yet despite the movie's drawbacks, it still manages to tell a story about an historical event of great importance and significance, and for that reason alone is worth watching.

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7/10

George Clooney's The Monuments Men was a good enough period drama for me

tavm16 February 2014

Before I review the movie proper, some anachronisms: While there was a song called "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in 1944 (Judy Garland introduced it in Meet Me in St. Louis), the words Ms. Garland sang then were a little different from what we know today. Like, instead of "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough" which was the line introed by Frank Sinatra in his 1957 recording, the line should have been "Until then, we'll have to muddle through sometime" which Judy sang in that movie I mentioned. Anyway, I very much enjoyed this dramatization of some art experts attempt to save as much of other countries' art from the Nazi regime as possible during World War II. Nice characterizations from Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Bob Balaban, among others, and George Clooney who also did a nice job directing as well. Maybe there could have been a bit more drama in characterization but I was satisfied with what I got. There were some nice humorous scenes as well. So on that note, I recommend The Monuments Men.

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7/10

Good, TRUE Story

blufrog4920 February 2014

I really knew nothing about this band of rag-tag soldiers before going to this movie, and it certainly piqued my curiosity to read the book and do a little more research. So anything like this that has more of just an "entertainment value" is a good thing. I'll admit, I was drawn to it because of Clooney, and was not disappointed. It was also refreshing to see Goodman and Murray in dramatic roles.

No, it's NOT supposed to be a comedy, nor a WW2 "Ocean's 11." For those who criticize that there is TOO much comedy, I disagree. The comedic relief comes primarily from one-liners, and who among us is serious all the time? Funny people often find themselves in serious situations and it would be difficult to believe that soldiers do not enjoy--and need--to laugh and be smart-alecks occasionally.

And a BIG thumbs up for the lack of the f-word and other profanity. I am getting so tired of nearly all movies peppering (and usually overdosing) their scripts with profanity. Sure, these soldiers probably used colorful language, but it wouldn't have added anything to the film to include it, and really, we need to show young people that you can communicate (more) effectively without profanity.

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7/10

A great story not told quite strongly enough

NS-movie-reviews29 July 2023

I have to say that I think a 6.1 average rating is a little unkind to this film. There are a multitude of super serious, heart wrenching, melancholy dramas about WWII. And I understand that those are appropriate for one of the greatest collective horrors to ever grip mankind.

That said, this movie being more jovial and about kinship amongst the men who swore to save art and culture felt like an appropriate tone. It made the film fun.

Having enjoyed it, there are still flaws. Not enough focus on the actual works of art for one, and for another, a little disjointed and rushed in some spots while other scenes that have little impact on the story take up screen time. It could have been a more art-centric celebratory movie than it was, given the heart of the matter.

This is not a terrible film. Maybe not what some would expect, but I had a nice time watching it, learned a lot, and even at times felt compelled about the accomplishments of humanity. That's a hard feeling to come by, so I embrace and appreciate it.

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7/10

Based on the true story focusing on an unlikely World War II platoon to execute an impossible mission: retrieve the art trapped behind enemy lines,

ma-cortes7 January 2015

In 1943 during World War II, the Allies are making good progress driving back the Axis powers in Italy , but there took place the greatest art heist in history . However, Frank Stokes (George Clooney) persuades the American President Roosevelt that victory will have little meaning if the artistic treasures of Western civilization are lost in the fighting. Stokes is directed to assemble an Army unit nicknamed the "Monuments Men", comprising seven museum directors, curators, and art historians to both guide Allied units and search for stolen art to return it to its rightful owners . 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 and especially to rescue Altarpiece of Gante and Virgin sculpture by Michael Angel . As an unlikely World War II platoon is tasked to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their owners. They are the followings : Bill Murray as Richard Campbell , John Goodman as Walter Garfield , Jean Dujardin as Jean Clermont , Hugh Bonneville as Donald Jeffries , Bob Balaban .as Preston , Dimitri Leonidas and Matt Damon (Daniel Craig was cast in a role but ultimately he dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Matt Damon replaced him).

The Monuments Men is a 2014 American-German war-comedy-drama war film directed by George Clooney, written and produced by Clooney and Grant Heslov, and with all-star cast such as Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, and Cate Blanchett. Loosely based on the non-fiction book The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, by Robert M. Edsel. This action drama follows an Allied group, the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program, tasked with finding and saving pieces of art and other culturally important items before their destruction by Hitler during World War II . Intentions are noble and its cast is impressive, but neither can compensate for The Monuments Men results to be stiffly nostalgic and curiously slack narrative . The picture is pretty well , though the sense that the film is episodic and poorly structured . Principal photography by Phedon Papamichael began at the Babelsberg Studios in Potsdam, Germany, in the Berlin-Brandenburg region , being filmed on location Bad Grund, Lower Saxony , Osterwieck, Saxony-Anhalt, Merseburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin , Germany and especially Neuschwanstein Castle , Bavaria, the castle where the art is stored. Evocative and appropriate musical score by Alexandre Desplat who also appears as a secondary actor . This lavishly film was well co-produced by Columbia Pictures in association with 20th Century Fox and Babelsberg Studio, being compellingly directed and produced by George Clooney . However , the film received mixed reviews from critics .

The flick was based on actual historical events , they are the followings : The "Monuments Men," were a group of approximately 345 men and women from thirteen nations, most of whom volunteered for service in the newly created MFAA section during World War II. Many had expertise as museum directors, curators, art historians, artists, architects, and educators. As a platoon going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners . Their job description was simple: to protect cultural treasures so far as war allowed. A task force appointed to research the origin of the robbed art has said that thousands pictures and sculptures fall into the category of art looted or extorted by the Nazis from Jewish collectors . These include pieces by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Edvard Munch, Paul Cézanne and others.

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4/10

Danny Ocean stars in "Saving Private Art"

CanuckGirl7 February 2014

Warning: Spoilers

If you want to see George Clooney play George Clooney, Matt Damon play Matt Damon, Bill Murray play Bill Murray, John Goodman play John Goodman, and Jean Dujardin play a clichéd Frenchmen (right down to the French beret and scarf)...in a incredibly mediocre film based on a compelling true story that's badly written and directed, go see "The Monuments Men". It's an "Oceans 11" team of art curators, historians and architects sent into France and Germany. Their mission? "Saving Private Art". The obstacles? Almost none, once they knew where to look. It was apparently the easiest art heist in history. The plus side? it's a stretch...but I did like Hugh Bonneville playing someone kinder and gentler than Lord Grantham in "Downton Abbey"...and Cate Blanchett? She's always great, but she truly doesn't have much to do here, other than speak with a French accent and look irritated. Don't be fooled by the star-studded cast like I was. This movie is a waste of your money and time. All of these actors have made far superior films. And this story would have been better served by a more accomplished screenwriter and director.

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6/10

Disappointing

eric_leidner20 February 2014

Just to Get one thing straight, i don't dislike this movie. In my Opinion it's entertaining in his own way. But i'm still disappointed by this movie, the Trailer really got me interested and i was really looking forward to see this movie. But i was probably expecting too much. The Story about a group of People, trying to Return some of the most important Pieces of Art in European History, to there rightful Owners is great. It's Characters Motivations are believable, those people weren't just some Art-Crazy Nutjobs that risked their lives to Save some Paintings they've only saw in Books, it goes deeper. I give this Movie Credit for not being an over-the-top patriotic WW II Flick. It's big Problem is, that it can't decide which kind of movie it's trying to be. Is it supposed to be a serious Drama or a Comedy with some serious Moments. And if you cast a Actor like Bill Murray, i would've expected a Comedy. So we get a mix of Dramatic Scenes, a few funny Scenes and unfunny Scenes which were supposed to be funny. On top of that, this movie is not good edited. Early in the Film the Group splits into several Groups, so the movie keeps switching between these Groups, which makes it sometimes hard to follow the Plot. Sometimes the time Gap between the cuts are crazy. In one scene we are in France during Autumn, then they cut and next they show us a scene in deepest Winter during the Battle of the Bulge. For all i can see, the acting is good, but because i watched the German-dubbed Version of this movie i can't fully Judge the acting. Now, is this movie horrible? Well, no it got some weak Moments and some strong Moments. When this movie was was over i thought to myself "this movie was OK". But maybe that's the Problem it's just OK.

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3/10

If Disney Made A World War II Film

GodofGSXR19779 February 2014

Warning: Spoilers

This film is definitely not terrible but missed a big opportunity at making something memorable. And needless to say it unfortunately has a lot of problems that do it (and its intriguing story) a huge disservice. Before listing the problems I will note its positives: The acting, cast, direction and visuals are all good. OK...

And now the problems:

1) The quips and zingers every few minutes: Is this a sit-com or a drama about Nazis stealing art? It was hard enough to believe any of these characters are allowed to simply meander around Europe without strict supervision but even less believable that these men snap out witty one- liners back and forth after every few minutes. And the problem is that these one-liners are often during times of implied danger or tension, which gets broken immediately with the comedy relief.

2) The musical score/tone is absolutely bizarre and out-of-place in many areas: When taking on a subject as serious as WW2, it's not a great idea to constantly have happy-go-lucky comedy relief music going on in the background. It really is tonally all over the place and is out of place when considering the message trying to be sent about the importance of human art/culture, etc. Half the time I was expecting either a Broadway musical dance-line to jump out and start kicking their legs in front of the screen or at least see the Rocketeer fly past a Nazi blimp.

3) The one dimensional characters. We learn very little about the actual personalities of the main characters so there is little to invest in, especially between the characters and their relationships. It's hard to feel bad for characters who you don't know and are acting really stupid in very dangerous circumstances. I also felt there were many scenes missing from the film because we never see the main characters even bond or have much meaningful dialog within the first hour of the film, and are expected to cry for characters we do not know and expected to care about relationships we have not established.

4) The villains (are even worse:) The bad guys (Nazis of course) might as well have been twirling around their mustaches and laughing maniacally. Are we to believe that even the "bad guys" in a real historical situation did not have other emotions besides crazy and evil? And as if if the Nazis were not bad enough villains, the writers needed to include a sub-plot with the big bad Russians, who although helped us beat the Nazis, are apparently evil for wanting to take art for themselves, I guess.

5) Missed opportunities: Many scenes have a lot of potential to lead up to something interesting, intense, or memorable. They never deliver in any way, however. Every single moment where there is action,drama, or a threat of danger/death, it is resolved with some type of comic relief or very random exposition designed to move to the next scene as quickly as possible. Very sad to say because every scene starts out with promise, then fails.

6) The heroes/the Title: Not even sure about the accuracy of this film: But if true, the heroes are not even the Monuments Men, but the ONE German-speaking member (hired on a fluke) who figured out where the art was being hidden and the same guy also finds hidden Nazi gold. It should have been named after this one character, the other members are idiots. Any man who steps out of a vehicle in war-torn France to offer a cigarette to a horse, deserves to be shot.

7) The WW2 tropes cliché festival: Yet again another movie showing the "greatest hits" of WW2, relying on its audience to be a bunch of stupid simpletons who only respond to iconic images or names they know from grade school text books. "OH, OMAHA BEACH! OH, BATTLE OF THE BULGE! OH, SCOWLING Hitler! OH PICASSO! THIS ALL MEANS SOMETHING!" .. No, it's time to stop going for the low hanging fruit and bring something unique.

8) "If it weren't for us you'd be speaking German" ... This is an actual line from the movie, directed at a French woman from an American soldier. The problem is that only a few scenes before we see a German Nazi soldier speaking English to that very French woman. So apparently she would have been speaking neither German or French, she'd be speaking English so that the English-speaking audience wouldn't have to read subtitles. Ridiculous jingoistic quips would work fine in a more clever WW2 film, but definitely not this one.

9) Last but not least: George Clooney as Danny Ocean/Prince Charming/Hero Astronaut:

I cannot take him seriously in a WW2 film when he does the whole "I'm not just a pretty face" smooth talking nonsense. In an Ocean's 11 film, yes. He's a good actor, why did he choose to play it like this AGAIN? It's annoying and takes us out of the movie, especially when trying to believe him as a humble hero who cares about art and not just how cool he is.

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9/10

The ornaments of civilization

bkoganbing24 February 2014

If one doubts the importance of those people called The Monuments Men in saving nothing less than the ornaments of civilization I would commend them to read some ancient history. What Adolph Hitler had was a two fold aim. A museum where he could house the stolen beauty of his conquered countries and view it for himself and his chosen elite. And to destroy the accomplishments of his conquered peoples so that only that what was deemed Nazi acceptable should survive. Remember what the Romans did to the civilization of Carthage. All we know about it is from the view of their conquerors. It's what Hitler ultimately intended.

George Clooney gets a special commission from FDR after he sells the idea of a picked crew of art historians to go in and try to save as much as they could. All in all I'd say that Clooney and his team which consisted of Matt Damon, Bob Balaban, John Goodman, Dimitri Leonidas, Jean Dujardin, and Hugh Bonneville went into harm's way in their mission. They had to persuade our side to let them do their work and not interfere with the war. And the married Matt Damon manages to mix a little pleasure with business with Cate Blanchett who worked at the Louvre and told them what to look for and a general idea where to look.

The Monuments Men is a wonderful film about a little known, but vital mission in World War II. Vital because these men and women were trying to preserve what our civilization is all about.

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6/10

Incredibly Disappointing

mike33869 February 2014

Warning: Spoilers

OK I bought all the early hype, I'm a sucker, I like movies, and I never learn. Sue me. But you know what? When you see a whole troop of actors making the TV circuit for a couple weeks when their movie opens, be careful. Truly good movies do not need much hype, and this is truly not a good movie.

My numerical rating on IMDb is a "6" and I'm being kind; it could be and is being rated much lower by "real" moviegoers. I'm biased, I like George Clooney, I'm from the Cincinnati area, so he's a legend around here . . . and the very crowded 3:30 p.m. showing confirmed it.

This movie is not as bad as his horrible "The Men Who Stare at Goats" but no where near his fine "Michael Clayton" . . . and if you're looking for humor anywhere near his hilarious "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou", you'll be sorely disappointed.

I won't spoil any of the plot for you if you wanna go see this movie because there isn't much plot to spoil, it really needed some good screenplay writing. The dialog is flat and plodding, the actors are just walking around in various locations, you cannot relate to any of them or what they are doing, the plot is as disjointed as the scenes, and if you nod off during the terribly slow and dark beginning, you'll be easily forgiven.

But George is handsome, Cate is beautiful and the camera focus is good, so enjoy your popcorn, it'll be the highlight.

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1/10

A Pathetic and Self-Indulgent Piece of Nonsense

Trombonehead16 February 2014

Having read the original book from which "Monuments Men" is taken, I was very interested to see the movie. There is a really fascinating and historically important story here, and it could have made a great film. However, soon after the show begins, it all starts to fall apart. The reason? George Clooney. He directed, and he wrote the screenplay. It's amazingly obvious that in neither of these capacities does Clooney know what he is doing. The screenplay is an absolute joke, totally disjointed, disconnected, silly, trite, and incredibly amateurish for a major Hollywood star of Clooney's stature. The same goes for the directing. George Clooney is obviously a guy with a huge ego, capable of fooling himself and a lot of other people who should know better, that he knows what he is doing. Film-making schools should show this movie as a classic example of what not to do. It's fundamentally flawed in every respect. Editing, music, etc.------one is taken aback by the unbelievable ineptness. Co-stars Matt Damon and Bill Murray and John Goodman and the rest of the cast merely parrot their lines in strange, disjointed scenes that beg to be rewritten by someone with a brain in his head. On the one hand, I totally condemn this piece of Hollywood egotistical stupidity, but on the other I heartily recommend it as an example of how bad movies can get in the hands of people with enormous egos. Stick to acting, Clooney---for God's sake don't direct and write screenplays ever again.

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Loved the Monuments Men

bay77713 February 2014

I know this movie received mixed reviews, but I thought it was excellent. With so many disappointing movies lately I was pleasantly surprised that Monuments Men really delivered. I had never heard this story before and I was impressed at how it was presented. The actors were perfect for their roles and it left me feeling proud of what these men were able to accomplish.

One thing that really struck home with me was seeing the beaches at Normandy. My uncle actually landed in the first wave, lost most of his battalion and was wounded. He never spoke about it but I know he carried the scars throughout his life.

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7/10

A Hollywood Retelling

Hitchcoc18 March 2014

I think people need to relax a bit and take a deep breath. This movie is pure Hollywood. It took an event near the end of World War II and put their own spin on it. To say it's the worst war movie ever made is really cynical and mean spirited. Granted, the characters are pretty stiff and not very well developed. They reminded me of those 1940's caricatures from propaganda driven films. Still, the event it is based on is a unique one in the annals of war history. Actually, in a convoluted way, the Nazi's interest in art probably was indirectly responsible for saving it. It prevented them from launching full-blown artillery attacks on some of the world's great museums. Instead, they stole these masterpieces (another means of repressing humanity) and stored them in salt mines and other secret places. The effort to discover and recover these masterpieces is what this is all about. Of course, in reality, this was done by about 150 people, not the seven presented here. Unexplained to the audience is how after a discovery a battalion of military vehicles seems to show up immediately to secure the art. There is also the sacrifice that is pretty contrived and gratuitous. This is a sort of old-fashioned movie done in contemporary times. Go along for the ride and don't imagine you are seeing Shakespeare.

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7/10

Is art really worth someones life....

jmoneyjohal8 February 2014

Warning: Spoilers

Don't go to "The Monuments Men" expecting to see a flippant WWII "Ocean's Fourteen." It's deliciously entertaining, but deeper than that. Though George Clooney is leading an all-star crew through a daring heist — rescuing occupied Europe's greatest art treasures from the Nazis — this is a sturdy, old-school, big-scale Greatest Generation war movie. It's great escapism.

The unlikely story is about true-life heroism, not irony. It's frequently funny yet earnest at heart. Directing, starring and co-writing, Clooney honors unheralded men who made a crucial contribution to the war for civilization. It's a story about men risking lives to save Western culture's greatest achievements from brutes who saw books and timeless art as tinder and kindling.

The stakes are clear from the opening scene, with Da Vinci's wall mural "The Last Supper" near collapse after an Allied bombing raid on Milan in 1943 reduced the refectory housing it to rubble.

"The Monuments Men" follows the fictional characters of art conservationist Frank Stokes (Clooney) and museum director James Granger (Matt Damon) as they recruit a half-dozen artists and experts to preserve masterworks. The squad includes Bill Murray as an architect, John Goodman as a sculptor, Bob Balaban as a theater impresario and Jean Dujardin as a French resistance fighter.

They're an odd lot, gifted and flawed, and they don't always get along with each other or their pragmatic GI counterparts. The film doesn't squander a lot of time building background stories for them. With iconic faces and talents like these, that's unnecessary. Goodman conveys more with the twitch of an eye than pages of dialogue can tell, and the comic friction between Murray and Balaban is as sly as anything in a Christopher Guest movie. These actors have a sense of identity from the get-go.

The film looks stupendous, with Normandy Beach, Paris, snow-covered Belgian forests, castles and cathedrals gloriously photographed by Phedon Papamichael. The olive drab and gray of the military equipment and uniforms offer a striking contrast to the beautiful jewel tones of the art on display.

Most of the artwork in peril features religious subject matter, a canny choice on Clooney's part. It's shorthand for the way art inspires and enriches our daily lives, and for most viewers it carries deeper emotional associations than secular works by Vermeer or Rembrandt.

Cate Blanchett throbs with suppressed rage as a Paris curator forced into cooperation with Nazi art looters. She'd be executed on the spot if they realized she was secretly cataloging the destinations of national treasures being carted away for display in Hitler's proposed Führer Museum. To recapture that beauty — there are worse reasons to risk your life. Her ardor helps convince even skeptics that there's more than canvas and paint and chiseled stone at stake here.

The film is episodic, and it could have been stronger with a centerpiece conflict between the old, out-of-shape scholars and a nemesis. Even so, it's strong work, with a sense of the capricious ebb and flow of history. The offhand way the squad learns that the war has ended is a delightful throwaway.

The film's emotional peak hits at a time, and in a way, you're unprepared for. While a medic (played by Clooney's co-writer Grant Heslov) works on a gravely wounded soldier, Murray hears a homemade recording of his grandchildren singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" over the camp PA system. At moments like that, and during the touching cameo appearance by Clooney's father, Nick, you know you're watching one straight from the heart. And that's right where it hits you.

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6/10

Not as bad as many critics would have you believe.

churchofsunshine17 February 2014

I saw this on the second day of its opening weekend in the UK. The cinema screen was only about a quarter full. That surprised me. Maybe people had been put off by the lukewarm reviews by the critics. Maybe George Clooney isn't just much of a draw at the box office any more. Maybe people just don't want to see a film about "art". Maybe everybody else in Preston was up at Deepdale paying their respects to Sir Tom Finney. Perhaps it was a little bit of all of the above.

I consider myself fairly well informed when it comes to World War 2, but I have to say that although I know that the Nazis looted loads of art from all across the continent, I never knew that the real-life 'Monument Men' existed - people who's job it was to try and locate all this missing artwork, get it back, and return it to their rightful owners. To this day of course, the search for pilfered art from WW2 is ongoing. How much of this film is true and how much is fiction is open to question. The real 'Monuments Men' were of course much more than platoon strength - in the film we are told there were just eight (led on-screen by Clooney, who also wrote and directed), in reality there were a few hundred. Some of the characters are apparently loosely based on real people, but their names have been changed. A bit like "The Great Escape" in that regard. For example, for Cate Blanchett's character (Claire Simone) you should Google 'Rose Valland' for information on the real person her character was based on.

The film was good enough to hold my interest, but I can't say it blew me away, and I don't see it getting anywhere at next years Oscars. I will try and obtain a copy of the book on which this film is based, as I thought the actual story is quite interesting, probably much more so than the film. The way I see it, George Clooney has educated me that these people existed, now I will deliberately forget what I have just seen and read the truth instead! Worth a watch - not half as bad as the critics suggest. 6/10

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6/10

Monuments Men is light entertainment that doesn't bore, but doesn't bring anything new either

diac22811 February 2014

There is a good chance Saving Private Ryan ruined World War II movies for the rest of eternity because of its sheer realism and ability to not hold any of the carnage and insanity back.

The Monuments Men's biggest issue is having to follow up to a masterpiece (that all war movies nowadays strive to become) with the similar credentials of covering an isolated incident that takes place in the middle of the deadliest war in modern history. Just like in Saving Private Ryan, Monuments Men is about preserving history before it gets swept up by the devastating conflict that leveled Eurasia. Private Ryan concerns pitting strangers together to save someone they don't know to prevent a family line from disappearing forever. With Monuments, it's about preserving art and culture before that gets permanently leveled by a war.

World War II is never a fun subject, no matter which way you look at it. Even at its most entertaining, the usually humorously dark Tarantino kept Inglorious Basterds on check with its grim content. Having more humor than drama and suspense in the middle of such a sad time period with the threat always imminent makes for an awkward watch. Monuments Men never pretends to be a comedy, but the entire movie feels unfocused as Bill Murray (He doesn't have an Oscar yet..hmmm) throws one-liners centimeters away from death—with impending Nazi danger around the corner.

And despite the stellar cast with decent performances (John Goodman and Cate Blanchett deserving some extra credit), despite the good cinematography and usual good direction from Hollywood staple George Clooney, the movie feels very by-the-numbers, paint-within-the-lines. It follows all the credentials, it checks off everything in the clichéd checklist for an inspiring historical drama. You have the likable characters, the necessary poetic deaths, and the uplifting ending in the midst of the odds being stacked against our heroes. So what else is there? The movie plays far too safe. And sometimes safe limits the impact. Saving Private Ryan leaves you numb, leaves you appreciating life, and leaves you desperately searching for good news during the two hours of intense filmmaking. Monuments Men never delivers an impactful emotional punch, even with the incredible true story that could have spawned a mini-series of some sort.

Clooney is like that cool student that is smarter than he leads on, can strive for that A+. But with his latest film, he doesn't really aim for the A+, instead settling for the B grade with the PG-13 content in an environment that is anything but. And with that, the movie feels like a C. Watchable, but ultimately forgettable.

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1/10

Very Disappointing Film

steven-k-beck14 February 2014

Warning: Spoilers

This much anticipated film is a dud. Too bad, as it had the chance to tell one of the more fascinating stories of WWII. A plodding plot drove a dozen viewers from the theater well before the film's end and Mr. Clooney wasted what could have been, at the very least, an entertaining cast. The thinly developed characters - Bill Murray seemed to have no more than four or five lines - gave the actors nothing with which to work and the viewer next to no emotional connection. I was hoping for a somewhat serious take with a few dashes of Oceans 11/12 and Kelly's Heroes spliced in, but found only one of the more disappointing films of the last few years. And the movie's fixation on cigarettes was a bit over the top. Yes, smoking was a big part of a soldier's life in WWII, but making a smoke part of the supporting cast is a little much. Any interest in this film is probably best sated by waiting for its release on cable. Not recommended.

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6/10

Great cast, lazy story

estebangonzalez1022 February 2014

"If you destroy their achievements, their history, it's like they never existed."

When I heard George Clooney was going to direct a film about a World War II platoon tasked by Roosevelt to rescue art masterpieces, and that Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin, and John Goodman were all going to co-star with him, I was sure it was going to win all kinds of awards and was highly anticipating it. Then when the film release was changed to February my expectations for it lowered tremendously, so I wasn't expecting much from The Monuments Men by the time I went to see it. This allowed me to actually enjoy the film a bit more despite the fact that it didn't come close to reaching its potential. It's a slow building film based on a true historic and important event, and the film doesn't stop reminding us of this fact considering it keeps on stating its self importance through the main characters. The film felt forced during those scenes where we were constantly reminded why the mission was so important and worth the human sacrifice. Despite failing in its grand ambitions and never quite figuring out the tone of the film, it's still worth seeing for the great cast. There were also several scenes that stood out in this war picture that included some comedy, but overall the film felt incomplete at times missing something. The word disappointment comes to mind considering how much potential The Monuments Men had, but it was still entertaining despite some of the misfires in Clooney's film.

The script was adapted by George Clooney and Grant Heslov from Robert Edsel's book about the world's greatest treasure hunt in history. Frank Stokes (George Clooney) is tasked by President Roosevelt to form a platoon with the mission of going into Germany and rescuing art masterpieces from the Nazis who had stolen them from their owners (mostly Jewish collectors) for Hitler's collection. Frank quickly forms a team of seven guys consisting of museum directors, curators, and art historians with very little experience in war. The Monuments Men, as they called themselves, was conformed by Frank, James Granger (Matt Damon), Richard Campbell (Bill Murray), Walter Garfield (John Goodman), Jean Claude Clermont (Jean Dujardin), Donald Jeffries (Hugh Bonneville), and Preston Savitz (Bob Balaban). Despite their little military experience they began a race against time in order to rescue these valuable art pieces and return them to their owners before Hitler destroyed them all.

There are some fun moments in The Monuments Men thanks in most part to the incredible cast, but one can't help and think about how underused they were. The characters were all very poorly developed and they only served to move along the story. I still can recall several funny scenes that were enough for me personally to watch and recommend this film. It's too bad the movie never manages to deliver the importance of the subject matter despite repeating the message constantly. I don't think it did these men justice for their contribution to humanity, but at least we got to know their story and enjoy a light hearted film about them.

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1/10

Great Story Bad Movie

homebob15 February 2014

This was a lousy film and George Clooney's performance was really "stupid". Mr. Slap happy, putting together team of goof balls to save the worlds plundered art? You've got to be kidding me. After reading the book I can't believe that Clooney could come away with this kind of an interpenetration.

I'm certain if the original Monuments Men could see this film they'd be rolling over in their graves. The movie was totally dis-respectable to those great hero's.

This was a great story that was completely ruined by George Clooney. The National Geo documentary was the real story. I really hate it when they "hollywoodize" true story films and try and turn them into a comedy.

I wouldn't give this film a quarter of a star!!!

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8/10

Deserves more credit

johncliftonduke6 February 2014

The Monuments Men is being too critically shunned. It is not what you expect from watching the previews, but comes through with heartfelt stories that are designed to show you what these men endured. Each of The Monuments Men characters come from the arts world and are driven into action by the need to save precious art works spanning across Europe. Bill Murray is a genius per usual but lacks when it comes to on screen time. I feel as though many characters like John Goodman are overshadowed by the likes of Matt Damon and George Clooney. They make themselves very prominent in the script but often take time away from those who would truly make this film shine (Murray and Goodman). Even though it is not as good as expected it shines in many scenes. I still give it a 8/10

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6/10

Consensus

B2412 February 2014

It seems to me nearly all of the reviews thus far (Feb. 2014) have at least something good to say about a flawed movie. Seldom is there so much consensus across the spectrum. I viewed it on opening day with great expectations and came away thinking of it as only a curiosity, a tale with two possible aspects. First, I found it just another 1960's style WWII narrative with a slightly lighthearted American perspective to accompany its musical score. But upon further viewing more somber elements took over.

Based on certain historical facts, the script compels a certain suspension of disbelief. In the event, however, the facts as presented seem not only fragmented, but interpreted across the board so as to make heroes of several very ordinary guys trying to do an impossible job: namely, dispelling horrors of war by making sure objets d'art survived intact. Political swipes at all them "furriners" especially Germans and Russians provided an unhappy and distasteful undertone.

Occasionally great cinematic art itself cannot and probably should not survive its critics.

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1/10

Boring...

diogocomex14 February 2014

The worst WW2 related movie I've seen in my whole life. It seems like those movies made to be presented in a warm afternoon, where probably nobody cares about it. It starts like would be enjoyable, but at the first minutes we can see takes that make us believe we are seeing some comedy for grandmas movie. And it goes, all 2 hours with no big surprise, no reliable story line, poor action and texts. Remember: Disconnect scenes. Boring WW2 propaganda. No action. No good talking. No reason to see such a lame movie. I was so disappointed with it, mainly because of the credit I give to George Clooney and Matt. But... Avoid this movie and save 2 hours of your life!

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