The Monuments Men (PG15) – starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray and Cate Blanchett, directed by George Clooney
Hollywood has churned out countless World War II movies over the years, from Empire of the Sun and Schindler’s List to Saving Private Ryan and The Bridge on the River Kwai.
But this latest World War II blockbuster covers a different side of the battle with Nazi Germany. Based on a true story, The Monuments Men follows an unlikely group of artists, art historians and architects lead by Frank Stokes (Clooney). Brought together by the US military, the men form a platoon tasked with recovering and protecting stolen artwork. Unprepared and untrained, the group of seven scholars are put through basic army training to prepare for war.
Thrown into the frontline, the gentlemen seek out over five million pieces of Western art stolen from Paris, Amsterdam and beyond. The ‘monument men’ aim to use their knowledge and skills to prevent Hitler from using the pieces in his extensive Fuhrer Museum. But as the war comes to a close, their mission shifts to saving the works from total destruction.
With Clooney also in the director’s chair, there is no shortage of comic relief courtesy of the actor himself, his Ocean’s co-star Damon and comedians Murray and John Goodman. The stellar cast also includes Cate Blanchett and Hugh Bonneville.
The Monuments Men hits cinemas this Thursday 20th February.
ALSO OPENING
Highway (Hindi – TBA)
Screened in the Panorama section of the 2014 Berlin International Film Festival, Highway is a coming-of-age film about a young city girl who is kidnapped just four days before her wedding. On her journey, Veera (Alia Bhatt) discovers the real meaning of freedom.
3 Days to Kill (TBA)
Secret service agent Ethan Renner (Kevin Costner) vows to spend more time with his family and less time killing. But when he’s given three days to live, he is forced to pull off one last assignment in exchange for an experimental drug that could save his life.
Anchorman 2 (TBA)
Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) and his motley crew are back and they’re out to make history. San Diego’s top new anchor heads to New York to head the city’s first 24-hour news channel. Starring Steve Carell, Paul Rudd and Christina Applegate.
