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Published February 12th, 2014
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"The Monuments Men"
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| By Derek Zemrak |
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| Photo provided |
"The Monuments Men" is the latest directing project by Oscar recipient George Clooney, and his frequent collaborator and co-writer, Oscar winner Grant Heslov ("Argo," "The Ides of March," "Good Night, and Good Luck"). They adapted the screenplay from the novel written by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter, which is based on the true story of servicemen and women assigned to locate and recover works of art stolen from museums, universities and personal collections by Adolf Hitler, Herman Göring and the Nazis during World War II.
The ensemble cast includes George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman and soon to be Oscar winner Cate Blanchett. The entire cast delivers outstanding performances but it is Blanchett who shines on the big screen as the assistant curator from the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris and who is reluctant to cooperate. It is her character's detailed notes and logs that lead to many of the recoveries.
"The Monuments Men" is no "Schindler's List." It is an interesting movie with flaws. It lacks character development and Clooney never truly brings out the tension of what one would except from a World War II period piece. Plus the musical score sets the tone for humor that diverts the story away from the seriousness of the subject matter. I commend Clooney for bringing to light the story of these courageous individuals as an educational vehicle and addressing the question: What's the price we're willing to pay for art? The movie made me want to learn more about the Monument Men, the stolen art and the recovery. If a film can educate as well as entertain, it is worth the price of admission.
The amazing part of attending the San Francisco press screening of "The Monuments Men" was meeting Bernard Taper, a real Monument Man and retired UC Berkley journalism professor. It was a wonderful experience to shake his hand and say "thank you." A moment in my film history I will never forget.
"The Monuments Men" is rated PG-13 for a few war scenes and smoking. It has a running time of 1 hour and 58 minutes. I highly recommend school field trips for this film.
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Derek Zemrak is a film critic, film producer and founder of the California Independent Film Festival. You can follow Derek on Twitter @zemrak for the latest Hollywood news. Derek can be heard every Friday on KAHI 950AM on the Poppoff Show.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA