A rare glimpse into a real-life treasure hunt during WWII. The Monuments Men is a true story of a select group of American soldiers whose primary objective was to find stolen art and return it to where it belonged. An epic struggle against Nazi Germany and even Russia. Trying to follow invisible trails, running into dead-end leads... yet disappointment after disappointment... they never give up. On their search for the art, they uncover some surprises along the way. The realities of war sneak up on them and as in war... there are casualties. Though difficult, the others charge on to follow their orders. Why do they? As said so simply, great works of art never belong to just one person... at least in spirit. That one quote captures so much. As a society, who we are and what we do will be forgotten but what we leave behind will transcend time. Our art portrays our culture, from all sides of life. We see the poor and destitute, we see the rich and opulent and everything in between. The story being told, though important is slow. The movie is hard to get into and difficult to connect with the characters up to about the 1/2 way point. If you love art... sit through it. See what this group of men (and women) preserved for future generations... After the movie, go to an art museum and appreciate the pieces 1st hand... Maybe the art will look different than it did before... because of this story.