The Monuments Men - Good Film, Not Quite Serious Enough

The Monuments Men was an exciting and comical adventure which was only loosely based on the popular novel of the same name.  Written and directed by George Clooney, the film has an all-star cast including Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Hugh Bonneville, and Cate Blanchett.  The story begins with Frank Stokes (Clooney) convincing the Allied generals that saving Europe’s classic works of art is vital.  He believes that an Allied victory will be meaningless if the great works of the Renaissance masters are lost forever, either damaged, destroyed, or stolen.  Stokes is allowed to assemble a team of experts, historians, and artists to try and infiltrate enemy territory and recover the missing masterpieces.  Working with a Parisian curator named Claire Simone (Blanchett), James Granger (played by Matt Damon) attempts to get information about the missing pieces which are hastily being brought to Germany under the leadership of Nazi officer Viktor Stahl ahead of the advancing Allied armies.  The information is relayed to Stokes and the other members of his team who have split up and are scattered all across Europe attempting to retrieve priceless works such as Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child.  With no military support, the story is uplifting as this hodgepodge group of underdog’s singlehandedly save the history of Western art from the destruction of World War II.   However, I felt that the tone set by the director was very reminiscent of Ocean’s 11, another Clooney/Damon collaboration.  The seriousness of the story was overshadowed by the comedic elements which I feel took away from the gravity of what the team was trying to accomplish.  While comedic relief was necessary, it seemed to go a little far making the movie feel more like a art heist comedy when I was expecting a war drama.  Still, the movie was entertaining and enjoyable to watch, especially when you consider that the events depicted actually took place.  In the end it was an interesting and untold chapter in the history of the Second World War which makes viewing the great works on display at museums like the Louvre all the more special.   

The Evens - "Music Is for Everybody"

               

      The Evens are a band that truly stand for what music is all about.  This Washington D.C. based two piece is made up of Amy Farina (formerly of The Warmers) on drums and Ian MacKaye on baritone guitar.  MacKaye has been a seminal figure in the underground music scene in Washington D.C. since 1978 as a founding member of the Teen Idles and Minor Threat, considered to be one of the very first hardcore punk bands.  MacKaye is also one of the founding members of Dischord Records, and would later found Fugazi, who would go on to become one of the biggest bands the underground has ever seen selling albums in the millions, numbers unheard of by most other independent label bands.  As the creator of the “straight edge” movement, MacKaye has always taken a firm stance against the abuse of drugs and alcohol and has continuously pushed for low ticket prices and all ages policies at his shows.  MacKaye’s desire for all ages shows stems from his belief that music is for everyone.  The same is true for The Evens.  Their latest CD “The Odds” continues in the same vein as their previous releases; Farina’s drumming and singing are perfectly timed and her beats are ferocious on tracks like King of Kings and Warble Factor.  MacKaye’s guitar playing is haunting and slow at times and then erupts into the same ferocity seen in his former bands.  While most of the tracks are sung by Farina with MacKaye doing backing vocals, some songs like Wanted Criminals see MacKaye singing lead and truly harken back to the days of Fugazi.  Every track on the album is fantastic and that doesn’t happen often.  The Evens continue to only charge $5.00 at the door for their shows and play at nontraditional venues such as libraries, book stores, bike shops, cafes, really anywhere.  With the current trends in the music industry it’s nice to see a band that not only sticks to its values but fights for them.  Music is an art form; it’s not about selling a product, or making as much money as possible, it’s about expressing yourself and The Evens exemplify this.