First Trailer and Images from George Clooney's 'The Monuments Men'

The general pattern for George Clooney's directorial career is that he tackles one serious-minded film, followed by something where he can have a little bit of fun. A couple of years after the taut, cynical political thriller The Ides of March, Clooney's tackling the WWII heist film The Monuments Men, and based on the first trailer it's a lighter, star-studded caper in the vein of Ocean's Eleven.

Dialing up a spectacular cast that includes Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville and John Goodman, Clooney writes, produces, directs, and stars in the true story of an unlikely WWII platoon of art curators, tasked by President Roosevelt to retrieve priceless pieces from Nazi thieves. Despite the talent and intriguing untold story, this probably isn't the best trailer to show what the film has to offer. Unsure of exactly what tone it's going for, the soundtrack doesn't mesh with the obviously comedic banter, and it's tough to figure out whether the brief glimpses of action are meant to be funny or poignant. At one point Damon's character steps on a landmine and it doesn't really seem to be a major concern, but that's not what the music is saying.

Still, this looks incredibly promising, and hopefully future trailers will be a little more focused. The Monuments Men opens December 18th. Check out the trailer and some new photos below....


The Monuments Men by Teaser-Trailer.com