The Monuments Men

With his mustache George Clooney looks a bit like Clark Gable. The retro look is appropriate since the movie harkens back to the war movies of the 60’s and 70’s such as the Longest Day and The Guns of Navorone.  At its core this is a buddy movie of a bunch of guys looking for stolen art. The buddy part makes this movie watchable since just looking for stolen art would make it like a PBS special (just like the real PBS special).

The casting makes for good humor and their chemistry is genuine. Clooney is the leader, behind and in front of the camera. Always dapper, he wore a tie during the whole war. Matt Damon is a curator from the Met cris-crossesing Europe looking for the art. He is so neat and clean not even in the field or in the mines does he get dirty (so how did Private Ryan get short changed?). Damon’s liaison in Paris is Cate Blanchett, a pinch faced marginalized curator (yikes!).  Rounding out the cast is John Goodman as a sculptor. I could not get the image of Goodman as Fred Flintstone working in the rock quarry out of my mind; type casting.  Bill Murray did a Bill Murray. Then there is the ubiquitous Jean Dujardin, who plays a French solider (Viola!!). He is dashing in a beret.

Chasing and finding stolen art is the back bone of the movie. Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child of Bruges and Van Eyck’s Ghent Triptych were costars of the movie. Other luminaries mentioned were Veneer, Vazquez, and Frans Hal (Picasso didn’t make it, he was torched). Passing Art History 101 is not a prerequisite but it don’t hurt.

The Nazis were there but not there. They were like a bad order in the background. One scene was ironically humorous. Question, what does a Nazi officer hiding as a farmer in the country side do with priceless works of art? You will not believe it.

No one’s acting is outstanding or memorable, but as a group they make an enjoyable and watchable movie. It is worth the price of a movie, but if you want to splurge go to the Met and visit the rest of the caste.

P.s.-There is a very nice surprise in the last scene.

The Lego Movie

Me and my inner child went to see the Lego Movie. This is a funny and very clever movie. For bits of plastic these characters have distinct personalities. The script is excellent and the voice actors bring the Lego pieces to life. Morgan Freeman is the Gandalf dude. Chris Pratt plays Emmitt a clueless, not too bright, proto-hero who is guided and protected by Lucy, played by Elizabeth Banks. Will Farrell plays evil President Business with uncharacteristic restraint (he mercifully keeps his shirt on). The focus of the movie is Emmitt’s journey of transformation and pitted against the perils of President Business.

The movie is a mélange of genres and characters. There is the Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, Cowboys and Indians and super heroes (all DC). A lot of the jokes had to do with what these characters traditionally do. A character specific to the movie is Bad Cop, played by Liam Neeson, who is the enforcer for President Business.

The plot is not simple and keeps your attention. The ending is a bit unexpected. The animation is outstanding. The movie incorporates the different Lego building sets as part of the movie and the combination of characters makes the movie funny.

This movie does not have the high adult crossover appeal like Toy Story. Toy Story appealed to children and adults with the kids oblivious to the double entendres of Woody and Bo Peeps. For kids and young adults, the Lego Movie is a home run. For the rest of us, tap into your inner child.