The Monuments Men (M)
Starring: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett
IT’S the war movie you watch when you’re not watching a war movie.
’The Monuments Men’ is what a war movie would look like if war movies were made for the fairer sex. Which is to say, of course, that it’s not a war movie at all.
I’m not sure war and art have ever been a successful cinematic combination before, but the tale takes us to Nazi-occupied Europe, where the retreating Germans are variously stealing and destroying the world’s art.
Enter the small, elite team of aesthetes – a kind of “clean half-dozen” led by screen veteran George Clooney with input from Matt Damon. Damon is not well used, and doesn’t get a lot of screentime.
Matters are complicated by the Russians having a similar, larger team, also involved in the world’s largest treasure hunt.
But the whole venture seems somehow less contemporary than the re-telling of 300.
Bill Murray goes close to stealing the show, however, as a wise-cracking sergeant.
They’ve spent a bomb on this, and it shows. It’s just not terribly good.
Most of the problems stem from George Clooney’s direction, which is far from taut. There’s a constant sense that this film is struggling to decide what kind of movie it wants to be.
Most viewers will take no violent objection to the film: it’s not the kind of film you can hugely object to.
The oldies will love the nostalgia, and find it much like slipping their foot into a boot full of warm sago. For the rest, there’s no rush – just wait for the DVD.
– Jason Beck
