Excellent film about an unusual World War II subject

Rating: Null/10 (7 February 2014)

I watched the film "The Monuments Men" today at a local theater.
I thought it was an excellent film overall.
I am probably more familiar with the subject than most viewers as I read Robert Edsel's book on the subject, which is the basis for the film.
Also I knew about the US Army art recovery groups from Upton Sinclair's Lanny Budd novels, and Thomas Carr Howe's 1946 book "Salt Mines and Castles".
The film did take liberties with the true stories to shorten the number of characters, and there were some scenes which turn up in most World War II films now, such as finding gold rings and dental work.
There is a stock Nazi SS Colonel who murders one of the Americans and later orders his men to use flamethrowers to destroy a room full of paintings,
The only woman in the film is a French art museum official who records art being stolen by the Nazis. She also distrusts the Americans and one of the Monuments group has to convince her to turn over her list of stolen art.
Some of the film is humorous, such as middle-aged men going through military training.
One recurring theme is the leader of the group trying to convince combat officers of the need to protect art for future generations.
A funny scene occurs when some of the men find a salt mine where the Nazis have stored some stolen art. One man digs through a wall and finds not art but a huge amount of gold. The gold brings a visit by the top generals including Eisenhower and Patton.
I didn't see any obvious anachronisms.
There are some scenes of Nazis stealing the art, and scenes of Hitler planning his "Fuhrer Museum". The actor who plays Hitler really looks like him.
The film is rated PG-13, but the rating is supposedly because some of the men smoke cigarettes, otherwise it would probably be PG or even G. There are a few nude women, but only on several hundred year old paintings and sculptures.
George Clooney produced and directed this film, and there is a scene at the end where an older version of George's character is played by George's father Nick Clooney, who used to host the AMC cable channel films.