“The Monuments Men” tells of the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives program, a group of Allied soldiers and art historians who sought to !nd and protect art stolen by the Nazis during World War II. Acting titans Ma” Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Cate Blanche” and George Clooney (who also wrote and directed the !lm) a”empt to bring the intriguing story of these men and women to light, but they fail to do so without stumbling. Though its heart is certainly in the right place, “The Monuments Men” su$ers from a severe inconsistency in tone, plot, and writing. Many charac- ters are established quickly, then immediately sent in di$erent directions, diminishing the emotional investment in the characters. The writing %ip-%ops between being underdeveloped, or overt and excessive. #ere are some scenes where nobody says much other than what’s necessary. However, at several different times during the film, George Clooney’s character, Frank Stokes, explains the importance of their mission with dramatic and poetic speeches that are all but asking for awards. Now, while these moments are genuine and well-intentioned, they are excessive. #en, !nally, when someone asks, “Was it all worth it?” at the end, Stokes simply responds with “Yep.” Had all of the prose and emotion been saved simply for this moment, it would have been a truly powerful scene. #e importance of their mission is insurmountable. Like Stokes says in defense of protecting art, “It is the exact reason we are !ghting, for culture, for a way of life.” #is is a truly inspiring thought. #e Allies fought the Nazis to protect our freedom and culture, and to lose our art and achievements is to lose that same liberty. If that concept was condensed and allowed to be a single idea imparted through one scene instead of being smashed over the face of the audience, it could’ve been very impactive. It’s not to say that this !lm is void of good elements. #ere are certainly some laughs, like one golden scene involving an unexploded land mine that evokes the timing and quirk of Wes Anderson. #e visual style is solid, with some nice cinematography and production design. Alexandre Desplat provides another !ne score. #e performances are appropriate, nothing special. Blanche” is as wonderful as ever, and Bill Murray does his combination of humor and sadness so well that his is one of the more memorable of the supporting performances. Clooney’s directing is well-guided, and the style and basic chemical composition of the !lm are not in question like the writing is. This is a strange fumble for him, considering his history with directing fantastic films like “Good Night, and Good Luck”.The boom line is that there are millions of stories to be told from World War II, one of the most fascinating periods of human history. Some are told with realistic grit and pain, some are told with Hollywood gloss, like this one is. When creativity and passion are poured into a great story, it can be a great work of art, much like the very things that the real Monuments Men wanted to preserve. #is !lm just felt like an unfortunately squandered opportunity for an incredible story to be told, a chance to not only convey the importance of art and culture, but to recognize unsung heroes of the past and do so in a poetic and compelling way.