“The Monuments Men” begins near the start of World War II with soldiers from America and Europe being recruited by the government to search for art stolen by the Germans. “The Monuments Men” is based on a true story of World War II.

The film includes George Clooney (George Stout),  Matt Damon (James Rorimer), Bob Balaban (Preston Savitz), John Goodman (Walter Garfield), Bill Murray (Richard Campbell), Hugh Bonneville (Donald Jefferies) and Jean Dujardin (Jean Claude Clermount.) Each actor portrays an art historian or art expert, searching for stolen paintings and statues throughout Europe, including Great Britain, Germany and Italy.

The movie highlights the relentless search to save the lost generation by saving the memories of the lost soldiers and remembering their generation through the artwork they have created and those they cherished. The film focuses on the the Holocaust and the relentless search for pieces of art stolen by the Nazis. Each character is depicted as a hero, willing to die for the return of stolen art, including statues, paintings and mosaics.

The movie truly captures the intense emotions and atmosphere of the war during World War II. The movie at times is quite graphic with violent and gory scenes.  The intense graphics and emotions allow the audience to experience a realistic version of the historical events in the widespread search in pursuit of the stolen art.

“The Monuments Men” is recommended for history buffs of all ages looking for an action-filled, thrilling movie with the historical background of World War II. The realistic scenes of scavenging across the world with a strict time limit to find these art pieces keep the audience on the edge of their seats and provide substantial entertainment to audiences interested in action filled and historical referenced movies.