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May 21, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 25 ‘Monuments Men’ save masterpieces in midst of war by Dennis Seuling “The Monuments Men” (Sony), based on a true story, is a tale of rescue -- not of human beings, but of treasure. The Nazis have plundered art treasures from museums and private collections. The war is winding down and there is danger that these mas- terpieces, scattered to various locations in Europe, will be either destroyed as the Allied invasion intensifies or lost forever. Intelligence has revealed that Hitler will order the destruction of this art if Germa- ny’s defeat becomes inevitable. A group of art historians, museum cura- tors, and professors is assigned to locate these works and ensure they are protected and returned to their rightful owners. Under the leadership of Frank Stokes (George Clooney), the team arrives in Europe and the members spread out to track down various leads. James Granger (Matt Damon) heads for Paris, where he looks up the imprisoned Claire Simon (Cate Blanchett), believed to be a Nazi collaborator. The others (Bill Murray, Hugh Bonneville, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban) pursue leads that take them to Belgium and Germany, where battles are still raging. The two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack contains deleted scenes, background on the real art rescuers, and the featurette “A Woman Amongst the Monuments Men.” The film is also available in a single-disc DVD edition. “Her” (Warner Home Video) is a roman- tic comedy set in Los Angeles in the near future. Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) works for a company called beautifulhandwritten- letters.com composing intimate letters and notes of love, desire, loss, and other heart- felt emotions for people who are too busy to express their thoughts themselves. Despite the company’s name, no hand ever touches a pen. The letters are composed on the com- puter in script. Though he is very good at pouring out greeting card-style expressions at work, Theodore has trouble with his own relation- ships until he buys a new operating system for his computer with built-in artificial intelligence -- a disembodied voice (Scar- lett Johansson) called Samantha. Samantha initially helps organize The- odore’s online files and reminds him of appointments, but soon picks up emotions in Theodore’s voice and senses his moods. Turning into a sort of in-home therapist, she begins to have conversations, provide opinions, ask questions, and take a per- sonal interest in Theodore. As the bond between Theodore and Samantha deepens, he becomes immersed in a relationship without the responsibilities of a human-to- human bond. Samantha is there at his con- venience and for his convenience. He likes this arrangement. The relationship develops in odd and then bizarre ways. Johansson does an amazing job with only a vocal performance. Her delicate per- Matt Damon, Hugh Bonneville, and George Clooney in ‘The Monuments Men.’ formance makes believable the intimacy of the relationship that develops. Science fiction movies often underplay ideas in favor of special effects. In “Her,” director Spike Jonze’s theme of human detachment is what grabs viewers and keeps them involved. Three featurettes are included as extras on the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. “Vampire Academy” (Anchor Bay) is based on Richelle Mead’s best-selling series. The film relates the legend of Rose Hathaway (Zoey Deutch) and Lissa Drag- omir (Lucy Fry), two 17-year-old girls who attend Saint Vladamir’s Academy, a hidden boarding school for Moroi (mortal, peace- ful vampires) and Dhampirs (half-vampire/ half-human guardians). Rose, a rebellious guardian-in-training, and her best friend, Lissa, a royal vampire princess, escape from the school but are captured and returned to the very place they believe their lives may be in jeopardy. Thrust back into the perils of Moroi society and high school, Lissa struggles to reclaim (continued on Crossword page)