Film Snail

6.1

The Monuments Men

PG-13·2014·118m

War

Drama

History

Action

War

Drama

History

Action

Summary

Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, The Monuments Men is an action drama focusing on seven over-the-hill, out-of-shape museum directors, artists, architects, curators, and art historians who went to the front lines of WWII to rescue the world’s artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their rightful owners. With the art hidden behind enemy lines, how could these guys hope to succeed?

Cast

George Clooney

Lt. Frank Stokes

Matt Damon

Lt. James Granger

Bill Murray

Sgt. Richard Campbell

John Goodman

Sgt. Walter Garfield

Cate Blanchett

Claire Simone

Hugh Bonneville

2nd Lt. Donald Jeffries

Sam Hazeldine

Colonel Langton

Jean Dujardin

2nd Lt. Jean-Claude Clermont

Bob Balaban

Pvt. Preston Savitz

Holger Handtke

Colonel Wegner

Dimitri Leonidas

Pvt. Sam Epstein

Justus von Dohnányi

Viktor Stahl

Zahari Baharov

Commander Elya

Diarmaid Murtagh

Captain Harpen

Serge Hazanavicius

Rene Armand

Udo Kroschwald

Hermann Goering

Grant Heslov

Doctor

Michael Brandner

Dentist

Luc Feit

Aachen Vicar

Claudia Geisler-Bading

Stahl's Wife

Andrew Alexander

Major Piper

Michael Hofland

Priest (Claude)

Miles Jupp

Major Feilding

Alexandre Desplat

Émile

Emil von Schönfels

Sniper Boy

Aurélia Poirier

Young French Girl

Matthew Maguire

Young Dying Soldier

Michael Dalton

President Roosevelt

Christian Rodska

President Truman

Stefan Kolosko

German Commander

Thomas Wingrich

German 2nd in Command

Oliver Devoti

Colonel at Caen

James Payton

Hitler

Lucas Tavernier

St. Bavo Priest

Oscar Copp

French Truck Driver

Luciana Castellucci

Nun

Declan Mills

Siegen Private

Richard Crehan

Brit Private

Corin Stuart

Brit GI Translator

André Hinderlich

German POW

Maximilian Seidel

German POW

Marcel Mols

Bruges Priest

Matt Rippy

Colonel Gregg

John Dagleish

ADSEC Sarge

Andrew Byron

Supply Sergeant

Nicolas Heidrich

Stahl's Child

Aidan Sharp

Stahl's Child

Xavier Laurent

French Armed Man

Ben-Ryan Davies

Brit Private - Bruges

Nick Clooney

Older Stokes

Joel Basman

German Soldier at Ghent

Adrian Bouchet

Sarge Near Altaussee

Joe Reynolds

Stokes' Son

Levi Strasser

Stokes' Grandson

Piet Paes

Priest in Truck

Audrey Marnay

Jean-Claude's Wife

Jim Dines

Trawler Skipper

Marc Rolfe

US Solider

Nora Sagal

Campbell's Daughter (voice)

Avery June Jones

Campbell's Granddaughter (voice)

James Audrey Jones

Campbell's Granddaughter (voice)

Crew

Director, Screenplay

George Clooney

Novel

Robert M. Edsel

Novel

Bret Witter

Screenplay

Grant Heslov

Reviews

Geronimo1967

April 15, 2022

George Clooney starred, co-wrote and directed this interesting wartime drama. It centres around an elite squad sent to try to rescue precious works of art from the retreating Nazi war machine. Not elite in an SAS or SEAL type military sense, but dedicated to identifying and preserving these artefacts that could be anything from a small painting to a life-sized statue. Historically and logistically it is all over the place, but it has a feel-good sentiment to it for the most part. It focusses on another quite visceral, but perhaps less often considered aspect of the atrocities to posterity carried out during WWII. Matt Damon ("Granger") features occasionally as he tries to convince "Claire Simone" (Cate Blanchett) in Paris that they are not just going to loot the art for their own museums and there is enough action involved to illustrate just how dangerous the end of the war was as they race to prevent the destruction. The production is adequate, nothing more to be fair, but this film is enjoyable to watch with a message that endures long after the mediocre performances from the talent have diminished. Perhaps some objectivity behind the camera might have helped - Clooney is too close to what is clearly a labour of love for him, but it's still worth a watch.