MOVIE OF THE WEEK (2/7/14): THE MONUMENTS MEN
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
KEY CAST MEMBERS: George Clooney, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Babalan, Hugh Bonneville, Dmitiri Leonidas and Justus von Dohnányi
WRITER(S): George Clooney and Grant Heslov (screenplay); Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter (book on which the film is based)
DIRECTOR(S): George Clooney
WEB SITE: http://www.supportthemonumentsmen.com/
60 SECOND PLOT SYNOPSIS (OR AS CLOSE TO IT AS ONE CAN TRY TO MAKE): Based on the true story of the heroes behind the film's title, The Monuments Men stars George Clooney as Frank Stokes, one of several historians/artists/architects concerned with the Nazi threat of World War II. But while most enlisted men are battling on the front lines to preserve freedom and the safety of Jews throughout Europe, Frank and his crew – Richard Campbell (Bill Murray), Jean Claude Clermont (Jean Dujardin), Donald Jeffries (Hugh Bonneville), Preston Savitz (Bob Balaban), Walter Garfield (John Goodman), James Granger (Matt Damon) and young Sam Epstein (Dmitri Leonidas) – are out to find historic artifacts stolen by the Nazis so they can be returned to their rightful owners/not be destroyed. And while the war itself may seemingly be coming to an end, Frank and his crew's search for the Picassos, Michelangelos and more is just beginning.
As Frank and his crew embark on their task, they quickly realize the dangers lying ahead of them ... And what key does the French museum worker Claire Simone (Cate Blanchett), forced to work under Nazi magnate Viktor Stahl (Justus von Dohnányi) hold to figuring it all out? Frank and his crew have work to do in order to discover the answer ...
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST?: George Clooney fans, Matt Damon fans, Bill Murray fans, fans of World War II movies than focus more on personalities than the war itself, art enthusiasts, Cate Blanchett fans
WHO WON'T – OR SHOULDN'T – LIKE THIS FILM?: People who like their World War II films with a bit more action/character substance, those who find some of the film's lighter moments distracting from the more serious storyline
BOTTOM LINE – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? Ever see a really good episode of a network TV drama with an all-star cast ... That's heading into its last season? It has its formula down, the cast knows their beats and they always know they're going on to bigger and better things once they wrap up this last hoorah. Be it Friends, Cheers or even The Shield, solid, we-know-and-like-the-cast-and-forgive-the-missteps shows wrap up in a way that, while rarely surprising, are satisfying enough to placate their long-standing fans.
That's The Monuments Men – complete with an ending guaranteed to make longstanding Clooney fans/veterans of past American wars smile.
WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT?: Watching The Monuments Men is a "nice" experience, but it's NOT a dynamic one. The beginning of the film feels a bit choppy and disjointed, rolling things along quickly without really developing the characters other than letting you know these guys are the heroes and what they are doing. You get no real sense of why it's so important to them, but that is not the focus of the story under Clooney's direction; they are simply there doing a job and the job is more essential than the stories of the men chosen to do it. Having talents like Murray, Goodman and Dujardin is a great thing; taking advantage of their abilities to breathe more than just the required life into their characters is better.
Interestingly, Blanchett's and Damon's characters are given the most screen time, which in turn produces the strongest dynamic and impactful scenes throughout the film. Don't mistake my critique; it's not that The Monuments Men isn't entertaining, it's just that a stronger, consistent serious tone coupled with the abilities of its cast could have produced a more gripping film given the story. Instead, what you are left with is a bit of a less humorous/zany Ocean's Thirteen that just so happens to be set in World War II. Once the film finally does find its emotional center about an hour in, everything is fine. You just wish it had been able to get there a little quicker without all of the unnecessary pizazz and flair intended to convince you the film is a good one.
So, while a decent experience at the movies, The Monuments Men is one of those film's that, with a different tone, could have produce some statuettes of its own if given a chance.
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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