Who knew that George Clooney was capable of making a movie quite as throughly disappointing as this one? Given his near impeccable track record as a director thus far, it's almost sickening to see how far he falls with the admirable but otherwise humdrum The Monuments Men. Looking at the trailer, and going by the plot (which features an allied group deep behind enemy lines trying to recover stolen art from the Nazis), this movie should have been a savvy cross between Ocean's Eleven and Inglourious Basterds; surprisingly, it's a total yawnfest from start to finish. With a cast made up of immensely talented actors such as Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Cate Blanchett and Clooney himself, it's fairly shocking as to how much of The Monuments Men seems less than fully formed. Directed on what feels like autopilot by the man who usually seems so very at ease behind the camera, the movie still manages to cling to a few impressive aspects. There's certainly a sense that the flick has been approached from place of respect, and the production design is majestic, but the film never finds its footing. Which is to say, the most disappointing thing about The Monuments Men isn't in how bad it is, but in how disappointing it is - almost as if Clooney, once riveted by the material, found something else that interested him during pre-production and quickly threw the movie together before moving on to other things. The cast do their best, and there are occasional moments of beauty and wit, but for a picture that could have been so much fun, it's a tired shame that most of Monuments Men hinges on a plot about Matt Damon chatting up Cate Blanchett. Like this article? Let us know in the comments section below.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
