[Review] Only thrilling for art addicts

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By Chris Lau
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By Chris Lau |
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Towards the end of the second world war, America sent a special squad to Europe to restore famed art pieces to their rightful owners. The Monuments Men, directed by George Clooney, is inspired by this culture-preserving mission.

Set in 1943, historian Frank Stokes (Clooney) successfully convinces the US president of the need to retrieve stolen art from the Nazis. Frank believes these constitute collective memories, and only by returning them to their owners can civilisation evolve as a whole.

So he gathers seven fine arts and history experts; after some basic training, the squad ventures into the heart of the battlefield to recover missing artefacts.

Despite some enjoyable acting - namely, by Cate Blanchett, who plays French curator Claire Simone - the film suffers from a lack of focus. Supposedly a heist film - at least according to Clooney - the absence of adrenaline-fuelled theft scenes makes most of the movie anticlimactic.

The script is not particularly witty either: nearly two-hour quest only manages to provoke a few laughs, and far more yawns covered by popcorn-coated hands.

If you're an obsessive art lover, I suppose the mere notion of saving art alone may be utterly thrilling.

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