George Clooney’s “The Monuments Men” was originally scheduled to open last month — then postponed to Feb. 7, reportedly because it wasn’t ready, taking it out of award contention.
Having seen it, I don’t think this relatively low-key docu-drama about art and architecture experts tasked with protecting European art treasures from the Nazis — and tracking them down — would have gotten very far in one of the most competitive Oscar races in years.
At best, Hugh Bonneville of “Downton Abbey” might have snagged a Best Supporting Actor nod for his small but important role as a disgraced British art historian who finds redemption as part of a small multinational military squad headed by Clooney.
That’s not to say “The Monuments Men” won’t be a treat for audiences starved for adult-oriented entertainment after they’ve sampled all of last month’s prestige pictures. It’s an often fascinating and suspenseful fact-based story, filmed on colorful locations with a great cast.
Clooney’s “The Good German” co-star Cate Blanchett (who leads the Best Actress field for “Blue Jasmine’’) and frequent Clooney collaborator Matt Damon have the most screen time in the ensemble cast.
Damon plays an art expert assigned to win the confidence of a suspicious French museum official (Blanchett) who may know where the Germans have hidden thousands of looted artwork earmarked for a Hitler-designed museum that will never be built. (However, even a great actress like Blanchett can’t sell an unlikely scene in which she attempts to seduce Damon.) Bill Murray and character actor Bob Balaban (they appeared together in “Moonrise Kingdom”) have great comic chemistry as two middle-aged team members who are paired up for a mission — recovering famous paintings taken from Jewish art collectors.
Also sharing most of their scenes, including bravery under fire, are French Oscar winner Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”) and character ace John Goodman.
Whatever the reason, moving “Monuments Men’’ to February was a smart move by Sony. Otherwise, it most likely would have gotten lost in the year-end shuffle.