Not your average war movie

Rating: Null/10 (10 February 2014)

This is one of the most rare war movies I've seen. I read Robert M. Edsel's book with the same title, so I was anxious to see the story on the screen. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't disappointed.
Just think, in the hell of WWII the President of the United States assigns a group of artists, art restorers, architects and a sculptor to save as much of the art stolen by Hitler throughout Europe. No small task, to be sure.
What George Clooney (writer, director, producer, actor) produced is a series of vignettes with team members seeking the stolen pieces and working to recover them, much like "The Longest Day" and "A Bridge Too Far" adaptations of Cornelius Ryan's non-fiction works with the same titles were produced as vignettes of various characters.
While the film does not focus on firefights, tactics and strategy, it does focus on the detailed search for Western Europe's most prized possessions, it's art. The story also provides insights into the friendships, humor and struggles encountered throughout The Monuments Men's pursuit of stolen art.
The acting is good to great, and the script, though scattered with vignettes, is solid. Some viewers may not connect with the stoic nature of the personalities. I can attest to its authenticity as my father served in the war and always maintained a quiet demeanor while describing his experiences  even when there was humor to his tales, it was delivered in an understated manner. And many of his veteran friends had similar persona.
The story also provides a glimpse at the approaching Cold War with the Soviet Union, with a team from Russians seeking the same artistic treasures, with Clooney and Company scoring one for the good guys near the end of the movie.
Again, this isn't your average war movie. It's better; with a true story on one of the most under appreciated and unknown aspects of the European Theatre.