Films set in World War Two are incredibly popular and the genre has become saturated. There is no room for mediocrity anymore. In comes George Clooney and his famous Hollywood friends to add to the exclusive list of excellent war movies...Ha! Based on the true story of a group of historians going into Europe to recover artistic masterpieces that the Nazi's stole. The film does not do those historians justice, at all. Quite simply this was a mess, narratively speaking. I was hopeful at the start as Clooney and Damon hire the assistance of other historians. Then the movie kicks into second gear and the group are disbanded to various cities across Europe. The narrative consistently shifts between five (...yes five!) different parties of the same unit. This constant switching was ridiculously jarring and I couldn't maintain focus on what the heck was going on. It wasn't a cohesive narrative, it was like watching five separate stories in one film. Not to mention that nothing here was engaging or compelling. Character development was minimal, editing was rushed...this could've, and should've, been executed better. Even the acting felt bland, hardly any acting at all! Only Blanchett and Dujardin felt immersed in the story. Everyone else was just themselves but in costume. Clooney clearly focussed on his directorial efforts and it showed. I honestly think his directing style is great. It's clean, sharp and he isn't afraid to let the actors do their job. I appreciate the light hearted atmosphere, rare these days in a war film but it felt like Dad's Army instead of Saving Private Ryan. There were glimpses of humour, particularly with the land mine scene where our characters actually interacted. But ultimately it was too little too late to save this. Mediocre at best.

Loosely based on the non-fiction book The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter, 'The Monuments Men' is a well-crafted & mostly engaging film by George Clooney, that wins over its flaws. While the Writing's tone shifts abruptly at times, the fine cast & deft direction by Clooney keep the goings-on thoroughly watchable.'The Monuments Men' Synopsis: An unlikely World War II platoon is tasked to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their owners.'The Monuments Men' is based on a true-story about war heroes who went near the war-zone to save creative masterpieces. You'd ask who goes out there in the middle of a bloodbath for sake of art? These heroes did! Why? Because Art defines humanity & how Art stands tall for its time & beyond. 2 of its heroes even lost their lives while on their mission & guess what, their sacrifice wasn't only to save art, but also humanity that lies beneath the masterpieces we talk about to date. Be it Michelangelo's Madonna or an Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece to name a few, remain as Artful & are considered as Creatives Masterpieces. And these heroes made sure they remained among us, despite the violence & menace all around them. Now that's Heroism!And it helps that the cinematic motion-picture about these heroes is bought to life by Oscar-Winning Film Giant - George Clooney. Keeping the pace moving & his direction consistently deft, Clooney delivers a film that offers some inspired laughs & a number of fascinating moments, that win you over. Of course, Clooney & Grant Heslov's Writing isn't always tight & the tone shifts from light to dull at times, but overall, this is a fascinating story that you might have not even heard of, but should experience, to respect its heroes. Clooney knows his job & while he can Write better, he sure knows how to direct & create an atmosphere for its subject matter. Phedon Papamichael's Cinematography, Stephen Mirrione's Editing, Alexandre Desplat's Score & the Excellent Production Design, merit a special mention. Performance-Wise: Clooney delivers, yet again! He delivers an entirely committed performance, that never hits a wrong mark. Matt Damon is terrific, as always. Its nice to see this versatile actor indulge himself in a strong supporting role. Cate Blanchett is extra-ordinary. Her sequences with Damon, stand out. John Goodman & Bill Murray deserved meatier roles & lines, but add to the narrative by just appearing here. Bob Balaban is top-notch. Hugh Bonneville & Jean Dujardin leave a mark. On the whole, 'The Monuments Men' is definitely watchable.

You can see The Monuments Men was well shot. I liked what Clooney was doing, putting an Ocean's Eleven flavor in a World War II setting, and the Director of Photography Phedon Papamichael does quality work on films with large exterior landscapes like Nebraska (2013), The Descendants (2011) and 3:10 to Yuma (2007). Furthermore, you couldn't ask for a better cast. There was a lot of expectation for this movie to pick up Oscar and Golden Globe nods which is why it was originally scheduled for a December release (but later moved to February). In spite of its assets, however, in the end it leaves you somewhat disappointed.Three main issues that made me think this could have been a gem, if only. First is that it couldn't decide if it was a comedy or a serious historical movie. Usually a drama has some humor, and a historical comedy has drama. This one felt like a tug of war between the two, and in the end there was no clear winner.Second was the editing. They could have shed 3 or 4 scenes without sacrificing the story, and trimmed a few others to keep the movie from lagging. But then in the DVD Bonus Features you see them shoot a victory scene with large crowds; why was that cut from the theatrical version?And third, as phenomenal as Alexandre Desplat's score was, some scenes felt like they were missing music, again giving us a tug of war between a lush Hollywood production and French minimalism. Maybe it was re-edited at the last moment and some scenes were left bare.So there you have it, one of the most interesting stories of World War II that could have been an awards favorite. I put it somewhere in the Top 15 non-violent, non-atrocity WWII films. They are (not necessarily in order):1. The Bridge on the River Kwai 2. The Imitation Game 3. Casablanca 4. Sophie Scholl 5. The Sound of Music 6. Judgment at Nuremberg 7. Ike 8. The Reader 9. A League of Their Own 10. Valkyrie 11. The Book Thief 12. Five Graves to Cairo 13. South Pacific 14. The Monuments Men 15. 1941

Set in WWII the MM's were specialists sent to Europe to save priceless works of art from Nazi stockpiles/destroyers. Real men women, were responsible for finding stashed collections and protecting art galleries and museums and returned family heirlooms to Jewish owners when they were taken by Hilter's men. Well acted, with a star-studded cast, the sets, costumes, locations and everything about the film was excellent. Damon, Goodman and Blanchett were stand out. There was a little comedy to keep the story rolling along, and realistic and poignant enough to be a valid war film but without all the gore and graphic tragedy. Some of the most heartbreaking scenes were of burning of pictures and books, one of the horrors of war which rarely gets much press. Based on a true story, possibly directly true but for film it needed a little more suspense and less contrived quick solution... for my money. Interesting spectacle of history, however.