Another film in the "classics" series at the local theatre, "Groundhog Day" is a movie that I'd seen before, although not in a while. While the basic premise of reliving the same day over and over again was not introduced by this film, it is probably the best known example of the concept in action, largely due to how well that premise is executed.
The film hits all of the same beats as the typical romantic comedies that get churned out with regularity, but the way in which that story is told makes it stand out, and elevates the film above its genre. The basic premise is thoroughly explored. We see Bill Murray's character experience both the joys and frustrations one would expect someone in such a situation to experience. The film doesn't tell a new story; it tells an old story in a new way, and does so wonderfully.
I recently said that I would soon be discussing a movie that I would not be willing to go see again under any circumstances. "The Monuments Men" is that movie. It is a boring, uninspired mess of a film, without a single even remotely memorable character.
The film's problems start very early on. In most "team" movies, each member gets an introduction establishing who they are and maybe giving them a quirky character trait to make them easy to remember. In "The Magnificent Seven", the team is gathered one by one, each under different circumstances. In "The Monuments Men" the team is gathered during a musical montage with no dialogue whatsoever.
After introducing all of its characters without really introducing them, the film then breaks the team into groups, sending them off into unconnected storylines for much of the movie. These storylines are not edited together well. Instead of creating any type of continuity, the film just seems to randomly be cutting back and forth between unrelated scenes. This doesn't just kill the film's momentum--it prevents any momentum from being built in the first place. Instead of watching anything that could actually pull the viewer in, we are instead forced to listen to repeated lectures about how important art is. The film doesn't have a single scene of genuine tension in it, not even during its sad excuse for a "climax". It should never have been released.
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