The Monuments Men (2014), PG-13, 2 stars

The cast is "Ocean's 14", I mean, "The Monuments Men".

Remember Inglourious Basterds? Quentin Tarantino worked on an impossible project and turned the result into one hell of a movie, spoofing the World War II setting during the reign of Adolf Hitler with original characters, dialogue, and situations. In relevance to that picture, I knew that a filmmaker, producers, and a studio will create a movie similar to that sort of genre. However, this movie is based on a true story, I mean, a real true story. George Clooney, the director, writer, and producer, is back to helm behind the camera and act with his fellow cast mates. The result is a disappointing history lesson with a shaky balance of sentimentality, action, and actual lessons about art.

In the middle of WWII in 1943, the Schutzstaffel or SS soldiers arrive at a museum and steal some art paintings. In Germany, a high-ranking SS official observes and praises the art made by Stahl (Justus von Dohnányi), another SS officer. A secretary, Clair Simone (Cate Blanchett), overhears the conversation and gets a bottle of champagne for Stahl and displays her hatred toward him by spitting into his champagne.

Meanwhile, art historian Frank Stokes (George Clooney), delivers a presentation to the President and the Secretary to recover the stolen paintings from Germany. The President reluctantly says that pieces of art are not worth a man's life. Stokes is left alone to gather his own men for the mission. Doesn't this set up ring a bell? Think about it: Ocean's Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen. I guess there was a descendant of Daniel Ocean in the middle of WWII.

Anyway, in a beginning of endless introductions, Stokes recruits Donald Jeffries (Hugh Bonneville), an old friend, James Granger (Matt Damon), an art curator at the Met, Richard Campbell (Bill Murray), a Harvard graduate who is an architect, Jean Claude (Jean Dujardin), a Frenchman with artistic talent, and two other architects, Walter Goodman (John Goodman) and Preston Savitz (Bob Balaban). Stokes explains why he gathered everybody for the mission because Hitler wants all of the art in his new Führer Museum, whom all of the guys are disgusted of due to his sheer audacity of keeping everything valuable piece of art to himself.

The men try to get to know each other and they all go through rigorous training. However, there are some common misconceptions as to how they get to know each other and why there is a certain feud going on between two characters, Campbell and Savitz. But, somehow along the way, they get acquainted with each other but with unfortunate changes of plans along the way.

James Granger (Matt Damon) and Frank Stokes (George Clooney) having a drink.

Where do I begin? The movie begins with a familiar and rushed cliché of getting all of the guys together, but I did not feel like I got to know the characters and their background, except maybe Damon's character. And, also, we do not get to know why there was a rivalry going on between Campbell and Savitz (Murray's and Balaban's characters) and what started the feud. The character development seems to be all over the map and also the characters' personalities are tonally off and therefore, I was confused throughout the movie as to why the mission was important for the soldiers to get all the art back. Also, there are one too many soliloquies from Clooney's character.

George Clooney is capable of giving one great performance after another in different projects. But, he seems to be strolling around throughout the movie and his style, haircut and persona seem awkward that he just came from another movie. Matt Damon is gone for the most of the movie to help Cate Blanchett's character. They do not give special performances and their romantic tension is lackluster. Murray seems to be tired at times but has a little fun. Goodman's character seems to come from his character in The Big Lebowski. Dujardin is ok and Balaban was actually surprising having some moments that seem to be exciting.

I've seen all four of Clooney's directorial movies as a director and he's made two good movies (Good Night, and Good Luck & The Ides of March) and two bad movies (Leatherheads and this one). He's basically a mixed bag as a director just giving us the right concise scenes. However, the scenes in this movie do not generate interest or excitement. As a result, The Monuments Men is a boring two-hour history lecture that has some spark, but the movie is incapable of balancing the flat narrative and humorous tones, nostalgia, and worthy entertainment. This is one of Clooney's weakest movies as an actor and a director.

**