Watch Monuments

The movie Monuments, released in 2020, is a thought-provoking drama that explores a plethora of themes, including coping with loss, the weight of grief, and the importance of preserving memories. Marguerite Moreau stars as Caroline, a grieving widow who embarks on a road trip across the American Southwest to fulfill the final request of her late husband, a renowned sculptor. Joel Murray and David Pasquesi play Jerry and Wayne, two of her husband's former assistants who accompany her on this journey.

The movie kicks off with Caroline receiving a mysterious package from a man named Martin, who claims to have been a close friend and assistant to her husband. The package contains a key and a note that reads, "Find the rock." Intrigued and somewhat bewildered, Caroline seeks out Jerry and Wayne, hoping to glean more insight into her husband's enigmatic request.

Jerry and Wayne, both struggling artists in their own right, agree to accompany Caroline on her journey. They trek through the rugged terrain and unravel clues left behind by Caroline's husband, eventually leading them to an ancient Native American rock formation. The formation comprises a series of boulder stacks that Caroline's husband had created on previous visits, and he had left behind an unfinished work there that Caroline was supposed to complete.

As Caroline, Jerry, and Wayne work to finish the sculpture, they encounter a plethora of fascinating characters and situations that challenge their assumptions about life, death, and the afterlife. The movie features stunning cinematography of the Southwest landscape, which serves as a backdrop to the characters' emotional rollercoasters.

Throughout the movie, Caroline grapples with her grief, attempting to reconcile her husband's memory with the reality of his absence. Jerry, meanwhile, grapples with the idea of being a failure as an artist and struggles with his purpose in life. Wayne serves as the skeptic in the group, questioning the significance of Caroline's husband's request and whether the trio is even on the right track.

The movie's theme is about the importance of memorializing and preserving the memory of the dead as a way to process grief and loss. It questions what memories are worth preserving and why. Through their journey, the characters come to learn that memories don't necessarily have to be tangible objects like sculptures or photographs but can also be found in the stories passed down through generations. Memories also live on through the people we love and share our lives with, and that it is sometimes more important to keep moving forward than holding on to the past.

Moreau delivers a terrific performance as Caroline, bringing depth and nuance to her role as a woman trying to navigate an unfamiliar terrain of grief and self-discovery. Murray and Pasquesi offer equally powerful performances, adding levity and humor to the film's heavier moments. The supporting cast of characters, ranging from quirky locals to mysterious strangers, breathes life into the movie's desert setting, bringing to the forefront the landscape's significance in Caroline's journey.

In conclusion, Monuments is a visually stunning and emotionally powerful film that challenges its audience to consider the complexities of grief and the ways in which we choose to remember the dead. It's a journey of self-discovery for the characters, and one that audiences will find themselves thinking about even after the credits have rolled.

Monuments is a 2021 comedy. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 4.4 and a MetaScore of 55.