The Monuments Men – A Movie Review

When in Manila, you will feel the need to go to Belgium to see the Madonna of Bruges (Madonna and Child) after seeing The Monuments Men – the one masterpiece in which George Clooney’s character has grown attachment to.  

The Monuments Men is a tribute movie to the platoon called Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program, which is tasked to save pieces of art and other culturally important items before their destruction during the World War II. A colorful cast of Hollywood stars like George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman,  Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, and Hugh Bonneville are forced to wear military uniform to save world’s treasured art work and heritage. The only woman in the film is  Cate Blanchett, who plays a critical role as a French woman who works as an art curator.

 

History tells us that Nazi’s had collected and hidden national treasures, and The Monuments Men need to race against time for an impossible mission to determine where the Nazi’s had hidden the treasures before its transport to the Führermuseum, or before they are all destroyed through the Nero Decree – an order passed by Adolf Hitler to destroy all they have acquired. 

The men are museum directors, art curators, and architects, and understand art more than holding a riffle. This gives the movie a light and interesting theme, with the perfect banters among the characters. Set during the World War II, the costume design is unexpectedly true to the setting and to the characters. The movie is directed and produced by George Clooney, who ironically provides a rather flat performance in the film. Interestingly, his character has some good lines that will make you change your views about history and art in just less than 2-hour movie run time. 

 

 

The Monuments Men is a big treasure-hunt movie that not just tells us about history and war,  but also selfless stories of these noble men who will let us see art work in a different light. They all have their personal struggle in the enemy line, where they work like true uniformed men away from their loved ones. It is the same goal that brought them all together and united  – the love for art and heritage. 

There is a hint of love story between Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett‘s characters – that is tempting and mysterious – but the true love that connected the two is their love for art work and the same understanding that true masterpiece can never been owned by a single person – it is for everyone. 

 

When in Manila, learn about the war that the Monuments Men has won to protect and defend mankind’s greatest achievements.

 

 

 

The Monuments Men is now showing in Philippine cinemas

from 20th Century Fox, distributed by Warner Bros.

 

 

The Monuments Men – A Movie Review