I have a soft spot for WWII movies. I’ve always been interested in them and whenever one comes out, it usually is on my to-see list. So, when Monuments Men came out, I thought it would be an interesting side of WWII that I had never seen before. The movie, based on a true story, focuses on a group of men led by Frank Stokes (George Clooney) in order to save art from being stolen and/or destroyed by the Nazis and Russians (of course). The misfit group travels around France, Belgium, and Germany in 1944 to after the war in order to find the thousands of pieces that had gone missing during the war.Right off the bat, the cast was amazing. The Monuments Men included George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, and many more, and also with a French-speaking Cate Blanchett. The actors worked well together and you could see that they were having a great time being able to work with one another. Unfortunately, the writing seemed to greatly limit the actors from their true potential. Actually, I believe the writing is what prohibited this movie from being an exceptional film. The lines, humorous at parts thanks to the actors’ deliveries, was noticeably deliberate and forced. They lacked a natural feel and flow.
One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when James Granger, played by Matt Damon, accidentally steps on a land mine. The scene starts with Granger, in an unsettling tone, calling to Stokes to come over to him off screen. Arriving to Granger, the shots alternate between long shots of Granger on the land mine and Stokes repeating why would he do such a thing. Keeping with the same shots, the other characters come in, again alternating between shots of Granger and the others. This back and forth separates Granger from the others since he is the one in trouble.
Monuments Men is probably one of the lightest war movie I have seen. Granted, there were some dramatic scenes that portrayed the horrors of war through the death of brothers. But, after doing a Formal Film Studies of The Deer Hunter, Saving Private Ryan, and The Hurt Locker, this movie was like a walk in the park. It was entertaining and fun watching all the actors work together in an unusual setting.
Overall, I give Monuments Men a 3/5.
Nice review, Lucy. I have been hearing some similar things about this movie that you mentioned in your review. A lot of people seem to be liking the cast a lot more than the actual story or writing itself. Although I haven't seen the movie, we talked about it a little in art history class. I was surprised to hear that it is considered a war movie since it seems pretty light, like you said. Good review!
ReplyDeleteI love your review, Lucy. I thought this movie was pretty light as well, though there were moments that caught my attention as anything but. One thing about the movie is that the audience isn't seeing the worst of the war. The Allies are already winning at this point, so we get to witness the aftermath. For example,when the Monuments Men arrive on the Normandy beaches, there are soldiers putting up white crosses on the numerous graves for all of their brethren that perished. Despite what other reviewers have said, I don't think that this movie as bad as they claim.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we looked at the trailer in class, and as you say, it has all the making of a great film; but, I don't know, it just seemed like something was missing. Maybe it's the story or the pacing or approach or something, I don't know. I think Doug wrote about this movie too, and he said he was sort of underwhelmed. I usually like a good war film too, but with all the negative reviews I'm a bit hesitant to sit down and watch this one.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, great job with the posts--keep up the good work!
I originally was very interested in seeing this movie, but I never got around to it! I do think that, like you said, the cast is amazing, but even from the trailer it did seem sort of awkward. I'll have to see for myself to find out though. Great review!
ReplyDelete