THE MONUMENTS MEN

I was lucky enough to go along to the London premiere for The Monuments Men earlier this month. As a true story that I hadn't heard a single thing about prior to the film's trailer, I was incredibly excited to watch the film and find out more. However, I was a bit concerned - was it going to be just another boring war film reminiscent of history lessons of yesteryear? Well, fortunately not!

(Sidenote: in case you missed my previous post, the delay in getting these latest reviews up is down to technical issues!)

George Clooney directs and stars in this fascinating true-life story of a World War II platoon that gets given the task of rescuing stolen art, which has been taken from the Nazis. This is the ultimate hook of the story, and the fact that all of this actually happened makes the film impossible to dismiss. After all, who knew that in World War II seven brave men were assigned the specific task of rescuing the World's greatest masterpieces from the Nazis? These men risked, or in some cases gave, their lives in order to protect the work of Michelangelo, Picasso and various other artists great and small, which the Nazis were stealing for the Führermuseum that Hitler was planning to open once he won the war.

The cast at the London premiere

The fact that the plight of these heroes went unnoticed for so long is unforgivable, especially when you consider their three-year mission helped to recover an estimated five million pieces of art! Perhaps my sentiment towards these men has been heightened due to the special guest at the premiere; Clooney and co. welcomed the last surviving member of the Monuments Men to the stage, and seeing the real-life counterpart of the men depicted in the story was humbling as well as extraordinary.

The strong cast are the making of the film. George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, and Hugh Bonneville are just a few of the talents who make up the Monuments Men, with Cate Blanchett also shining in a supporting role. What makes the cast so spot-on, and aids the film's delivery tremendously, is their chemistry. The men bounce off each other and seem to be genuine best friends; it is clear that they all had fun making the film and that high energy transfers through the screen to the audience, making the film enjoyable to watch.

Despite the sensitive wartime setting, the tone of the film is relatively light hearted and there is very little depiction of the real tragedy of war. The story is very much about the men, not about the war, and I have seen this as a point of criticism for others, although I will beg to differ. Referenced by some as merely 'Oceans 11 in WW2', mostly due to its light-hearted dialogues and, admittedly at times gratuitous, attempts at comedy. However, these one-liners and comedic jibes actually help diffuse the tension in what would otherwise have been a very serious and intense film. Clooney's decision to add an element of humour to the film is in fact a decision that I applaud as it avoids the film from being stuffy and 'just another war film', instead making it something that can appeal to people of all tastes and ages, whilst still achieving the overall mission to get the story of the brave young men told.

The real life Monuments Men

The humour also brings the reality of war closer to home as it makes the men much more relatable. They aren't just serious-faced men in khaki helmets and holding guns; the incessant bickering, brotherly camaraderie and light-hearted take on serious matters makes them seem much more like everyday people who you could meet walking down the street today. The time period becomes irrelevant and the men become modern.

My main criticism of the film comes through the unsurprising overriding theme of patriotism throughout. A few times I was suddenly jolted out of the story because the nauseating 'AMERICA IS AWESOME' notion became a little too ridiculous, and increasingly hard to swallow. When you consider the fact that the Monuments Men were not solely American soldiers it makes the film appear as though it has an ulterior motive - something that isn't exactly unique for an American wartime film, but still a bit tedious none the less. Despite these occasional blips, Clooney always manages to reign the story back  in - much to the film's benefit, - and once you take away the propaganda you are left with an enjoyable and surprisingly easy-viewing film.

So long as you don't go into the cinema expecting the movie equivalent of a high-school history lesson, there is nothing not to like about the film. The fact that it is such an incredible true story makes for an interesting watch and the cast's high-spirited energy and Clooney's take on the storytelling makes it easy to digest and holds your attention. Although stylistically it may not have the makings of a cinematic masterpiece, it is informative and entertaining. What more can you ask for than that?

★★★☆☆

The Monuments Men is in cinemas nationwide now!

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Love,