A double edged sword, serious with a lighthearted side

Rating: Null/10 (18 February 2014)

18 February 2014 Film of Choice at The Plaza Tonight - The Monuments Men. Another George Clooney film, not only starring but directed and written by him. An unlikely band of men are brought together to form a platoon charged with the rescuing of art stolen by the Nazis. Not just famous and historical works of art from galleries and public buildings but all art, whomever may be the artist and whatever the subject, which belonged to ordinary people. This film although lighthearted in many parts serves well as a grim reminder of many things that went on during the war, no scene depicts this better than finding the barrels of wedding rings and gold fillings (it's OK I'm not giving anything away, that scene is in the trailer). It not only highlights the effort made by large groups of people but also the individual acts of bravery and courage that occurred through one of the darkest periods of modern history. People stuck their necks out knowing full well that they could lose their head as a result, yet did it time and time again. An interesting group of people came together to form this platoon, from George Clooney, Matt Damon and Bill Murray to Hugh Bonneville and Jon Goodman, to name a few. A more unlikely group of heroes you could hardly think of, yet this team worked and this film worked. I'd like to watch it again. It's worth staying through the beginning of the credits as there are a number of real wartime photos depicting the art being found, this brings home the fact it's a true story.