Back Rowe Reviews
Real Time Movie Reviews from the Back Row of a Theater

The Monuments Men (PG-13)

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Directed by: George Clooney
Starring: George Clooney
February 2014

This review was originally tweeted in Real-time from the back row of a movie theater and appears @BackRoweReviews. Though efforts were made to tease rather than ruin this movie’s memorable lines and moments, some spoilers may exist in the following evaluation. The original tweets appear in black, while follow-up comments appear in red. For concerns over objectionable content, please first refer to one of the many parental movie guide websites. All ratings are based on a four star system. Happy reading!

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A blunder right out of the gate…no apostrophe appears in the title.

Two spits for Stahl. Drink up!

Who will make sure the Mona Lisa keeps smiling? Compelling argument.

“They’re not blanks.” Ha!
This training sequence feels like it was lifted right out of a classical Hollywood war movie. Uproariously funny.

Post D-Day Normandy. Gorgeous revolving shot of the characters as they step onto the beach.

Damon’s poor French ensures brief subtitle scenes...thankfully.
A very clever decision on the part of scriptwriters Clooney and Grant Heslov.

Clooney’s speech to his men is inspiring...and depressing.
Inspiring for the audience, depressing for his team.

A German standoff. Smoking with the enemy.
Another riotously hilarious scene. Balaban and Murray are pitch-perfect in their deliveries.

Murray’s gift 45 hits all the right emotional notes.
A really special moment amid the atrocities of the war.

Talk about a bad place to take a cigarette break.
This scene is shot in Germany, and for those who’ve never been there, this is exactly how it looks…right down to the overcast sky.

Blanchett entrusts Damon with “her life.”
She actually wants to give him something more.

Talk about a national treasure!
The Dwarves or Erebor couldn’t have stacked it any better.

Grab and go...the Russians are coming.
No, Alan Arkin doesn’t make an appearance here, although that would’ve been a choice inside gag.

Final analysis: for the often heavy subject matter, this is a surprisingly feel-good movie.

Phenomenal production values, fine performances and a gorgeous score from Alexandre Desplat.

Rating:
3 out of 4 stars. An important film with a poignant message. Will it be forgotten by next Oscars?

To start with, it’s just a blast to see all of these stars together on the big screen. Secondly, it’s nice to see a war movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is affecting only when it needs to be. There are some gorgeous shots (Dujardin sprinting across the field) and scenes (Bonneville’s heroic stand to protect the Madonna and Child statue in Bruges) in the film and the production perfectly captures the look and feel of Europe in the 1940s. This is just an incredible story that illuminates a sidebar event during WWII. Much appreciation goes to Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter, who wrote the book upon which the movie is based, and to director Clooney for capturing these recreated events with such verve and veracity.