The Monuments Men

When Saving Private Ryan is the standard that you set the bar, a new war film needs to be that little bit special in order to stand out. Pre-release The Monuments Men had some promise in an untold, true story and the power of a star studded cast, bragging the likes of George Clooney, Matt Damon and that guy from Downton Abbey but unfortunately, it fails to dazzle.

It is an original idea, based on a true story but fails to register as a classic due to the lack of conviction. The Monuments Men tells the story of 6 art lovers that seek to recover and return the pieces stolen by the nazis. In order to do this they join the forces and pose as soldiers who go behind enemy lines, risking their lives to save the masterpieces.

The plot is cute but one that does not have the gusto to be made

 into a feature length movie; in order to do so it needed a lot more character depth. We don't know who these men are and why they've been chosen to put their body and life on the line in the name of art. It felt as though the rickety story line had restricted the actors ability to put across a convincing performance, and therefore I can pick no one from the cast who stood out. Even when characters come close to death, your empathy is still tested because we know nothing about them.

There are hints of war-based comedy and some scenes with create tension for the watcher but not enough to give this film credibility in its field. I don't doubt that George Clooney & co. have the ability to make a convincing war film, but this production certainly lacked any direction and ultimately was not the right route to follow.