Unlike the art, "The Monuments Men" is flawed, but still modestly entertaining
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| Matt Damon and George Clooney |
The mildly entertaining new dramedy from George Clooney, "The Monuments Men," is based on a fascinating true story about how the Allies worked together to save loads of priceless art from the Nazi's during World War II. With a delayed release from late last year and some mixed reviews popping up, it was rumored that the film wasn't that good. Well the good thing is "The Monuments Men" is better than expected, but unlike much of the treasured art that was saved, it's imperfect and uneven, saved by a charming ensemble cast that works well together. Clooney is George Stroud, who leads an Allied platoon comprised of various museum directors, curators, and art historians (including Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Bob Balaban, Jean Dujardin, and Hugh Bonneville). They are tasked with entering Germany with the Allied forces during the closing stages of World War II to rescue artworks plundered by the Nazis, saving them from destruction or damage, and returning them to their rightful owners. Directed and co-written by Clooney, "The Monuments Men" is an uneven but enjoyable mix of historical drama, war film, action and drama with some humor thrown in. Clooney struggles here in finding the right tone to keep his audience interested in understandably dry material, alternating between humor and seriousness, though that doesn't work well given the subject matter, and the film simply works best when it focuses on tracking down the art rather than on the men cracking jokes and having a good time (yes, it's more interesting than it sounds). Admittedly, there are still a few good moments and the cast works well together, with Clooney and Damon giving believable turns as the two who lead the charge in locating the art, though two fine actors in Oscar-winner Dujardin and Bonneville (of "Downton Abbey") seem minimized, as does Cate Blanchett who outshines the men, giving the film's most layered performance. This could also be a case where the film's backstory is more fascinating than the rambling storyline, which could've used additional fine tuning in editing out unnecessary situations and characters. True, "The Monuments Men" isn't Clooney's best effort at directing or acting, lacking a little emotional heft, but the engaging cast keeps it watchable most of the time. Worth a look especially for those who enjoy a good history lesson.
Wes's Grade: C+
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