Film

Telluride's Nugget Theatre is screening four films this week, including the animated feature, "The Tale of Despereaux" and the World War II drama, "Defiance."

"Despereaux" is the story of a mouse who would be the hero who rescues the Princess. As travel writers know, you have no story unless something goes wrong. "The Tale of Despereaux" illustrates this dictum. Among the famous voices behind this animation are those of Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. To see a trailer, go to apple.com/trailers.

Edward Zwick's "Defiance" is set in Eastern Europe in World War II. At a time when Jewish people were being massacred by the millions, the Bielski brothers were fighting the Nazis with a makeshift army of the people they had rescued. The movie stars Daniel Craig (the latest James Bond) and Liev Schreiber as two of the four Bielski brothers. The trailer can be found at apple.com/trailers. In the interest of full-disclosure, the editor of "Defiance" is Susan's and my brother-in-law, Steven Rosenblum, so this one is personal.

The Nugget's schedule for the coming week:

Poster Part two of Elisabeth Gick's  three-part series on Tibet at Telluride's Wilkinson Public Library is a pause to refresh from the country's challenges: a screening of the award-winning documentary, "The Saltmen of Tibet."

According to Eilsabeth, the film offers a loving look at an ancient way of
life in one of the harshest, yet gorgeous regions of the world, the
Tibetan plateau. The story follows the daily rituals of a Tibetan nomadic community,
transporting us into a realm untainted by the tides of foreign invasion or
encroaching modernity. Step by step we experience the unforgettable, annual
three-month pilgrimage to the holy salt lakes of northern Tibet.

"Tibet is the roof of the world, a place where we feel we are in the
sky just as much as you are on the earth. The intense blueness of space
contrasts sharply with the deep green of Eastern Tibet's rolling grasslands
and the mineral colors of the west with its expanse of barren rock. For over
a thousand years Buddhist culture has been at the heart of Tibetan society,
and anyone who has travelled across these high plateaux will understand how
this contemplative civilization flourished in a landscape of such vastness," explained physical scientist/Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard.

Police Inspector: “What can a slumdog possibly know?”
Jamal: [quietly] “The answers.

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards – film, director, cinematography, editing, original score, sound editing, sound mixing, adapted screenplay, and two for original song – "Slum Dog Millionaire" opens at Telluride's Nugget Theatre on Friday, February 6 and 8:30 p.m. nightly through Thursday, February 12, just before the Valentine Day weekend.

"Slum Dig Millionaire" is a valentine to the underdogs of the world who have not lost heart or hope  – and that describes a lot of us who still choose to see the glass half full in challenging times.

"Slum Dog" is "Rocky," "Breaking Away," and "Cinderella" rolled up into one Dickensian fantasy about the American Dream outsourced to India.

Milk
Opens at Telluride's Nugget Theatre on Friday, Jan 30

Cast: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, James Franco, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, Kelvin Yu, Lucas Grabeel, Alison Pill, Victor Garber, Denis O'Hare

Director: Gus Van Sant

Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black

Length: 2:08

Rated: R for profanity, sexual situations and violence

Subtitles: none

Eight Academy Award Noms: Best Film, Director (Gus Van Sant), Actor (Sean Penn), Supporting Actor (Josh Brolin), Original Screenplay, Costume Design, Editing and Music Score.

VALKYRIE
Opens at Telluride's Nugget Theatre on Monday, Feb 2

Cast: Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Carice Van Houten, Eddie Izzard, Terence Stamp, Stephen Fry

Director: Bryan Singer

Screenplay: Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander

Length: 2:00

Rated: PG13 for violence and brief strong language

Subtitles: none

"Marley & Me" opens at Telluride's Nugget Theatre on Friday, Jan 23 at 5:30 and 8 PM nightly“A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his.” (John Grogan)Cast: Jennifer...

by B.F.Deal

The Nugget Theatre first opened in 1935 when the Nunn Building was divided to accommodate movie screenings. The Telluride Film Festival master leased the theatre in 1982 in order to have a venue with a "Main Street" address. The theatre has operated continuously ever since.

Luci Reeve, assisted by Jim Bedford, aka B.F. Deal, have sub-leased and managed the theatre since 1984 with Luci running the day-to-day operations and Jim programming the movies.

“Telluride Inside…and Out” is now the go-to spot for weekly posts about what's coming up at the Nugget Theatre. The 5 pm movie through Thursday, January 22 is "Bedtime Stories."

Cast: Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, Russell Brand, Richard Griffiths, Teresa Palmer, Lucy Lawless, Courteney Cox, Jonathan Pryce
Director: Adam Shankman
Screenplay: Matt Lopez, Tim Herlihy
Length: 1:35
Rated: PG, for some mild rude humor and mild language
Subtitles: none

“Telluride Inside…and Out” is now the go-to spot for weekly posts about what's coming up at the Nugget Theatre. We begin with this week's blockbuster, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Showtimes: 7:30 pm, through Wed. January 21.

Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Julia Ormond, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas, Tilda Swinton
Director: David Fincher
Writer and Screenplay: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Eric Roth
Length: 2:48
Rated: Rated PG-13 for profanity, sexual situations, violence
Subtitles: none

Howie It has never been about blockbusters or crowd-pleasers, although films such as this year’s “Slum Dog Millionaire” may turn out to be both.

The Telluride Film Festival has always been about quality not brand names and Hollywood endings – although at times both appear on the screen.

The art of filmmaking, the TFF’s core value, is what drives their programming not just over Festival weekend, but throughout the year. Case in point is this weekend’s program: “A FREE Cinematic Weekend with Howie Movshovitz of NPR.”