Review of The Monuments Men (2014) by Filipeneto — 05 Mar 2020

A good message, a good cast that does little, a good story without anything special. A warm film, in short.

I confess that this film tells me a lot. I am a historian, I understand the importance of art, the historical and artistic heritage, and I am well aware of the irreparable loss that all wars cause in the cultural heritage of nations. Portugal, my country, has always kept a little distance from European war conflicts, a situation conditioned by geography, but which has allowed my country to pass through raindrops and to be spared in many times of difficulty. Even so, we know what a large-scale war is: we were invaded by Napoleon Bonaparte, with great devastation and loss of life and property, and many pieces of art (mainly sacred art, furniture and jewelery) were stolen and taken to France at that time. So, watching this film and seeing the efforts of a handful of men, lovers of art and history, to save pieces of European culture, is something that has meaning for me because it is something that, in such a dramatic war, I would also be able to to offer to do. Yes, without a doubt ... it is worth risking to save pieces of art and culture that are truly irreplaceable and allow them to return to their rightful owners.

George Clooney is a multifaceted man. Director, screenwriter, one of the main actors ... he certainly embraced this project with commitment, and the cast is full of stars like Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Hugh Bonneville and Bill Murray, great actors who have, in the past, given proof of talent beyond any doubt. The problem is that there are so many good actors that I felt that they never reached the potential they deserved, limiting themselves to a warm and sometimes lazy performance. So much money and good human capital involved and Clooney doesn't know how to take advantage of all this and make an incredible movie with these stars?

The script is good and the story told is very interesting. In fact, the film entertains and captures the audience but it is a little boring to feel that, in some parts, it tries to be dramatic and, minutes later, it is desperately trying to make us laugh. The length of the film is also a bit exaggerated, given the story told. At a technical level, the film has good production values: a photograph that is pleasing to the eye, good sound, visual and CGI effects, good costumes and scenery, but something that really surprises us is missing. It is a very average film in everything. And the most tiring is the soundtrack ... composed by Alexandre Desplat, it constantly sounds adventure with touches of comedy and announces a light and fun film, with some sense of grandeur. Actually, the film has funny parts but it lacks that sense of adventure and has nothing grand or epic about it, which makes the soundtrack a little too presumptuous.

I liked this film for its message about the importance of heritage, culture and preservation. I liked the story told and felt that the film is worth it but there is nothing fantastic or special about it. It's just another movie set in World War II, good for spending some idle time and nothing more.