The Monuments Men (B or 3/4 stars)
'The Monuments Men' (directed, co-written, & starring George Clooney) tells the true story of 8 men who left their jobs to volunteer for a little known WWII U.S. Army Unit. Their task? To locate, protect, & (hopefully) return stolen monuments/art during bombings & other German war shenanigans. As WWII drew to a long-awaited close, their mission turned into a well-intentioned, but deadly treasure hunt to find where the Nazis had stored said stolen art. The leader in this film is Frank Stokes (Clooney), a Harvard art historian whose love/respect for art engages him to hunt for stolen paintings & sculptures. He is determined to preserve the 'culture' of art; and particularly obsessed with locating Michaelangelo's Madonna & Child, which stood in a Bruges, Belgium church until the Nazis snatched it.
Frank chooses 7 men to work with him on this treacherous mission: a curator of medieval art at the Met (Matt Damon); a British art connoisseur (Hugh Bonneville, Lord Grantham of Downton Abbey); a grizzled sculptor (John Goodman); a French art dealer (Jean Dujardin); an architect (Bill Murray); & an art historian/stage director (Bob Balaban). They learn that Hitler, a lover of art, is building a 'Fuhrer Museum' & has ordered his minions to collect the best museum artwork & private collections from all across Europe. Thousands, if not millions, of famed pieces go missing. Our team of 8 (The Monuments Men) are aided by Claire Simone (Cate Blanchett), a french Resistance fighter who worked as a secretary for the German command in Paris, and who secretly made a list of the every work of art that was stolen & sent to Germany. The notes prove very helpful to the team. But as the war approaches its end & the Germans look to lose, they learn that the Germans have been ordered to destroy all the art(!) rather than let it be returne; and now the duplicitous Russians want to collect it for their own museums. Drama ensues.
Clooney takes a great story (on paper) and, with the help of a versatile cast, gives us a pretty entertaining flick. It looks good (great cinematography, period milieu). I liked Alexandre Desplat's musical score; he even has a cool cameo in the film. There are suspenseful stretches. There's humor. But the film falls well short of greatness. For one, while the story is a good one, there is far too much narrative to be smashed into 2 hours, and we really needed to know more about these characters to have full effect; especially when the actors are so good at what they're given. And secondly, though this is a fascinating true story, it's not the TYPE of true story that makes for compelling cinematic happenstance. I mean ... it's about reclaiming stolen art. Yes, one can make that story more 'exciting'. But adding a lot of flash & bang to a 'stolen art' film would feel somewhat disingenuous. Stick to the known facts. And for better or worse, the filmmakers do.
Although we see such WWII highlights as Normandy, The Battle of the Bulge, as well as people like Roosevelt, Truman, Hitler, & Goering ... 'TMM' covers an intriguing period that most people know little of. Clooney has made a drama which showcases the love & appreciation that people have for art & culture. It must be a passion project, really; because you can see how into the story Clooney is (to have directed, co-written, etc.). We see reverence in these courageous Monuments Men; and I respect the reverence of Clooney to make this film. He does a good job capturing how works by such creative artists as Michelangelo, Rembrandt, or Vermeer can mean so much to someone; to a people. It's a personal thing.
George Clooney is good; dialing back his - how should I say this - um, Clooney acting schtick. Matt Damon is Matt Damon; steady as always. Cate Blanchett is wonderful; when isn't she? Hugh Bonneville gives nice gravitas to a role with a pivotal character arc. Bill Murray & Bob Balaban provide laughs (great scene in the woods with a young German soldier, as well as a scene at a German's dinner table). The most stirring moment is also provided by Murray. While taking a shower, he hears the voice of his daughter singing a Christmas carol. It's just a very moving scene. The Artist's Jean Dujardin is charming. And I loved his friendship with the John Goodman character. And so, 'TMM' does a stellar job conveying why protecting art from the Nazis was important, but it's less effective fleshing out the heroes who searched for it. We're given little-to-no backstory or context for these courageous people. Enjoyable movie; just wish it were a bit better.
Frank chooses 7 men to work with him on this treacherous mission: a curator of medieval art at the Met (Matt Damon); a British art connoisseur (Hugh Bonneville, Lord Grantham of Downton Abbey); a grizzled sculptor (John Goodman); a French art dealer (Jean Dujardin); an architect (Bill Murray); & an art historian/stage director (Bob Balaban). They learn that Hitler, a lover of art, is building a 'Fuhrer Museum' & has ordered his minions to collect the best museum artwork & private collections from all across Europe. Thousands, if not millions, of famed pieces go missing. Our team of 8 (The Monuments Men) are aided by Claire Simone (Cate Blanchett), a french Resistance fighter who worked as a secretary for the German command in Paris, and who secretly made a list of the every work of art that was stolen & sent to Germany. The notes prove very helpful to the team. But as the war approaches its end & the Germans look to lose, they learn that the Germans have been ordered to destroy all the art(!) rather than let it be returne; and now the duplicitous Russians want to collect it for their own museums. Drama ensues.
Clooney takes a great story (on paper) and, with the help of a versatile cast, gives us a pretty entertaining flick. It looks good (great cinematography, period milieu). I liked Alexandre Desplat's musical score; he even has a cool cameo in the film. There are suspenseful stretches. There's humor. But the film falls well short of greatness. For one, while the story is a good one, there is far too much narrative to be smashed into 2 hours, and we really needed to know more about these characters to have full effect; especially when the actors are so good at what they're given. And secondly, though this is a fascinating true story, it's not the TYPE of true story that makes for compelling cinematic happenstance. I mean ... it's about reclaiming stolen art. Yes, one can make that story more 'exciting'. But adding a lot of flash & bang to a 'stolen art' film would feel somewhat disingenuous. Stick to the known facts. And for better or worse, the filmmakers do.
Although we see such WWII highlights as Normandy, The Battle of the Bulge, as well as people like Roosevelt, Truman, Hitler, & Goering ... 'TMM' covers an intriguing period that most people know little of. Clooney has made a drama which showcases the love & appreciation that people have for art & culture. It must be a passion project, really; because you can see how into the story Clooney is (to have directed, co-written, etc.). We see reverence in these courageous Monuments Men; and I respect the reverence of Clooney to make this film. He does a good job capturing how works by such creative artists as Michelangelo, Rembrandt, or Vermeer can mean so much to someone; to a people. It's a personal thing.
George Clooney is good; dialing back his - how should I say this - um, Clooney acting schtick. Matt Damon is Matt Damon; steady as always. Cate Blanchett is wonderful; when isn't she? Hugh Bonneville gives nice gravitas to a role with a pivotal character arc. Bill Murray & Bob Balaban provide laughs (great scene in the woods with a young German soldier, as well as a scene at a German's dinner table). The most stirring moment is also provided by Murray. While taking a shower, he hears the voice of his daughter singing a Christmas carol. It's just a very moving scene. The Artist's Jean Dujardin is charming. And I loved his friendship with the John Goodman character. And so, 'TMM' does a stellar job conveying why protecting art from the Nazis was important, but it's less effective fleshing out the heroes who searched for it. We're given little-to-no backstory or context for these courageous people. Enjoyable movie; just wish it were a bit better.