I did something yesterday that I almost never do any more: I went to a movie with my friend Dana. We saw The Monuments Men. It was not a wildly exciting film but it was fascinating. It's about a group of men who were asked by President Roosevelt towards the close of World War II to find all the famous artworks stolen by the Nazis and return them to their owners. It stars George Clooney, Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Bob Balaban, and a hunky French guy whose name I can't remember. Obviously, the Hollywoodization of the story simplified it greatly. That's inevitable. The real story is much more complex. There are not that many of these men still alive [5] and they deserve recognition and honor.
There is a documentary that I want to see called "The Rape of Europa" that goes into far more detail than the movie. This article in the LA Times tells more about that.
The only thing that was a bit disconcerting about the film is how incredibly old most of the big name actors look. Bill Murray looks like a grandpa, as does John Goodman. [Not that there's anything wrong with looking like a grandaddy; it's just disconcerting...] George Clooney isn't looking like such a hottie either - not that I ever thought he was hot. I just never understood that who fixation some women have with him. Of all the folks in the cast, Matt Damon is the most attractive, to me. I don't want to have an affair with him though; I'd like to have a nice long lunch maybe...
Actually I'd like to have lunch with all of them. Goodman and Murray are genuinely witty guys, unlike so many actors who can barely say anything that isn't scripted.
The only real issue with a cast filled with stars like that is that none of them ever get that much individual screen time. Bill Murray had some really touching moments; I don't want to say more but his performance is nuanced and lovely.
Cate Blanchett is in the movie and I think she did some egregious overacting and scenery chewing. I kind of cringed every time she was onscreen..
Below is a clip from the movie and it's one of my favorite scenes: