Wisdom of Nuggets

HOTEL FOR DOGS
At the Nugget Friday-Sunday, Feb 27-Mar 1 (Matinee on Saturday!)

Cast: Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Dillon, Don Cheadle
Director: Thor Freudenthal
Screenplay: Lois Duncan and Jeff Lowell
Run time: 1:40
Rated: PG for brief mild thematic elements, language and some crude humor.
Subtitles: None

What’s HOTEL FOR DOGS about?
When their new guardians forbid 16-year old Andi and her younger brother, Bruce to have a pet, Andi has to use her quick wit to help find a new home for their dog, Friday. The resourceful kids stumble upon an abandoned hotel and using Bruce’s talents as a mechanical genius, transform it into a magical dog-paradise for Friday–and eventually for all Friday’s friends. When barking dogs make the neighbors suspicious, Andi and Bruce use every invention they have to avoid anyone discovering “who let the dogs in.”

Who is HOTEL FOR DOGS for?
For kids and their parents.

Quotes from HOTEL FOR DOGS:
“Arf!” and “Woof!”

What’s being said about HOTEL FOR DOGS?
“HOTEL FOR DOGS knows its audience and never tries to be something it’s not. This one is made for kids and teens, and any adults who wander into the theater will just have to understand they’re not the target demographic and deal with it or leave. Of course the fact the film’s loaded with adorable, talented canines will help soothe any adult’s ruffled feathers once they figured out they’ve been duped into seeing a kids’ movie.” Rebecca Murray at Movies.about.com

See the HOTEL FOR DOGS movie trailer here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/hotelfordogs/

HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU
At the Nugget Friday-Thursday, Feb 27-Mar 5

Cast: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson, Kris Kristofferson, Justin Long
Director: Ken Kwapis
Screenplay: Marc Silverstein and Abby Kohn from the book by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo
Run time: 2:09
Rated: PG-13 for sexual content and brief strong language
Subtitles: None

What’s HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU about?
Baltimore twenty and thirty-somethings struggle with the tragicomedy of modern romance in this lovable comedy/romance based on the book by SEX AND THE CITY writers. An ensemble cast of pretty professionals suffer the turmoil of dating in a storyline that incorporates glamorous emotional dramas with confusing doldrums, miscommunications and power games of singles. We follow as they navigate their various relationships from the shallow end of the dating pool through the deep, murky waters of married life, trying to interpret the opposite sex and hoping to eventually live out fairy tale love stories. The film sugars the rulebook of dating with a steady stream of laugh-at-yourself humor that’s never saccharine. This is a truthful, well-made, long awaited, made-for-a-date movie.

Who is HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU for?
For fans of relationship movies and for those who liked SEX AND THE CITY.  A great film for dinner and a movie night.

Quote from HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU:
Mary: “I had this guy leave me a voicemail at work, so I called him at home, and then he emailed me to my BlackBerry, and so I texted to his cell, and now you just have to go around checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies.”

What’s being said about HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU?
“There’s not a weak link in the cast, as the lesser-known leads hold their own alongside Affleck, Connelly and co. If anything, there are star-making performances from TV stalwarts Cooper (Alias) and Goodwin (Big Love). The characters feel like people who have had lives before the film began, and will go on falling in and out of love after we’ve left the cinema. The Baltimore setting makes a fine change of pace from the more usual New York and LA, and there’s a terrific soundtrack to boot.” Martin Gray at Eyeforfilm.co.uk

See the HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU movie trailer here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/hesjustnotthatintoyou/

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE and GRAN TORINO end on Thursday. SLUMDOG won eight Academy Award Oscars on Sunday, including Best Director and Best Film. This week is the last chance you’ll have to see them on the big screen in Telluride. Both are thoughtful films and two of the best of year.

GRAN TORINO
At the Nugget Friday-Thursday, Feb 20-26

Cast: Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang, Ahney Her, Christopher Carley
Director: Clint Eastwood
Screenplay: Nick Schenk
Run time: 1:55
Rated: R for violence and profanity
Subtitles: None

What’s GRAN TORINO about?
Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) is a widower who has only recently lost his wife and still holds onto his prejudices despite the changes in his Detroit neighborhood and the world around him. Walt is a grumpy, hard-headed and unhappy an old man who can’t get along with either his own kids or his neighbors. He’s a Korean War veteran whose prized possession is a classic Ford 1972 Gran Torino he cares for lovingly. When his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager named Thao, under pressure from gang members, tries to steal Walt’s car, he sets out to reform the youth. To regain the family’s honor, Thao goes to work for Walt. Drawn against his will into the life of Thao’s family, Kowalski is soon taking steps to protect them from the gangs that infest their neighborhood which soon make him their target.

Who is GRAN TORINO for?
For the many fans of Clint Eastwood and his movies; for fans of good writing, directing and acting.

Quote from GRAN TORINO:
Duke: What you lookin’ at old man?
Walt Kowalski: Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn’t have f*cked with? That’s me.

What’s being said about GRAN TORINO?
“Eastwood has also distilled into Walt Kowalski his life in films, the character and his distinctive way with a phrase a nod to every memorable hardass Eastwood has portrayed, from The Man With No Name and Harry Callahan to Will Munny. Walt is no Magnificent One, cleaning up the ’hood for the poor immigrants he’s taken to his awakened heart. Oh no. It flirts with that, but subtly, smoothly shifts gears from the Alf Garnett act and the odd-couple bonding bit into something more painful, affecting and meaningful with a totally unexpected twist that really is magnificent, befitting both the character and Eastwood’s career.” Angie Errigo at empireonline.com. “Best film of 2008 that was overlooked by the Oscar Nominations.” BF Deal

See the GRAN TORINO movie trailer here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/grantorino/

DEFIANCE
At the Nugget Monday-Thursday, Feb 16-19

Cast: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, George MacKay, Alexa Davalos, Mia Wasikowska
Director: Edward Zwick
Screenplay: Clayton Frohman and Edward Zwick, based on the book by Nechama Tec
Length: 2:17
Rated: R for violence and profanity
Subtitles: None

What’s DEFIANCE about?
Late 1941, in Nazi-occupied Belarus (east of Poland), four brothers from a farming family named Bielski flee into the forest along with a few other people determined to survive the onslaught. Eventually, twelve hundred Jews seeped out of the cities and joined the Bielski Otriad (Detachment). Some threw in their lot with Soviet partisans; the rest miraculously improvise a civil society in the woods, complete with hospital, bathhouse, and shops. Director Edward Zwick and frequent Telluride resident and screenwriter Clayton Frohman work with Nechama Tec’s 1993 historical study of the same title to shape a stirring narrative. The action—shot by Eduardo Serra near the actual sites—is stunningly choreographed and contains the kind of uncertainty that make battle scenes genuinely exciting. Zwick keeps it focused and quick. Daniel Craig (Bond, James Bond), speaking in a dry, accented voice, is the smart, dominating leader, Tuvia Bielski. Liev Schreiber, surly and tough, is the quarrelsome younger brother, and there is an excellent cast of minor actors and extras, many quite memorable. Their attempts to battle the Nazis to a standstill is based on a true story.

Who is DEFIANCE for?
For fans of war stories, WW II and adventure films; for fans of good writing, directing and acting; for fans of battles against odds and uplifting tales.

Quote from DEFIANCE:
Asael Bielski: “Nothing is impossible, what we all have done is impossible!”

What’s being said about DEFIANCE?
“Ultimately, the film works not just because of the character arc it provides for its main character but for its ultimate theme of the triumph over adversity.” James Berardinelli at reelviews.net, and “DEFIANCE is about standing up to enemies, both internal and external. Today, the Bielski brothers are regarded as war heroes and the survivors of their trek still today number in the thousands. Their story is a thoughtful representation of the choices we all must make in the face of uncertainty.” Hal Conklin and Denny Wayman cinemainfocus.com

See the DEFIANCE movie trailer here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount_vantage/defiance/

THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX
At the Nugget on Friday-Sunday, Feb 13-15 (4 PM Matinees on Sat and Sun!)

Cast: (voices) Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Watson, Tracey Ullman, Kevin Kline, William H. Macy, Stanley Tucci, Frank Langella, Sigourney Weaver
Directors: Sam Fell and Robert Stevenhagen
Screenplay: Gary Ross, based on the book by Kate DiCamillo
Length: 1:30
Rated: G
Subtitles: None

What’s THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX about?
Here we have a story about a mouse named Despereaux (Matthew Broderick), with Dumbo-sized ears and an oversized heart. His home, the Kingdom of Dor, was once a happy place but now due to unexpected events, it has been shrouded in gloom. But not for Despereaux! The fearless rodent doesn’t fit to the usual mouse-like criteria but instead yearns for adventure, especially after he starts reading fables from the castle library. He also bonds with Princess Pea (Emma Watson), who is sad and lonely that her kingdom is in such disarray. Despereaux looks at her as a damsel in distress and wants to help. Unfortunately, these are all serious no-nos in Mouseworld, and so Despereaux is banished to live in a dungeon with the evil Rats, where he meets an agreeable rat, Roscuro (Dustin Hoffman), who is also different from his kind. Roscuro wants to right some past wrongs but is spurned by the princess. Needless to say, things do indeed go awry, and Despereaux must summon all his courage and bravery to save the day. In this tale of bravery, forgiveness and redemption, one small creature will teach a kingdom that it takes only a little light to show the truth: what you look like doesn’t equal what you are.

Who is THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX for?
For kids and their parents, families and lovers of animation films. For movie fans looking for a surprise.

Quote from THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX:
Narrator: “I could say they lived happily ever after, but what’s the fun in that?”

What’s being said about THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX?
“Co-directors Sam Fell and Rob Stevenhagen invest into this gorgeous-looking film all the care that went into the art of DiCamillo’s beautiful book. In fact, unlike many other recent animated features, Despereaux is distinctly old-fashioned, despite all the CGI. The look of the movie is definitely inspired by older, more traditional Disney-style fairy tale classics.” Pete Hammond at Hollywood.com.

See the THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX movie trailer here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/thetaleofdespereaux/

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Opening at the Nugget on Friday, Feb 6, at 6 and 8:30 PM nightly

Cast: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor
Director: Danny Boyle
Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy
Length: 2:02
Rated: R for some violence, disturbing images and language
Subtitles: Some English subtitled Hindi
Academy Award Nominations (10): Film, Director, Cinematography, Film Editing, Original Score, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Adapted Screenplay and two for Original Song

What’s SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE about? It’s the soaring story of an eighteen-year-old Muslim tea-boy named Jamal (Dev Patel), who, as an orphan born and raised in the poverty of the slums of Mumbai, is given a chance to change his life and balances on the verge of fortune and fame. Meanwhile, the whole nation holds its breath. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is an old-fashioned, sentimental cliffhanger to which the filmmakers have completely committed themselves. Jamal is a contestant on the Indian edition of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” But his success raises the suspicion of the police—they detain and torture him—who believe he must have cheated. His response is that experience alone, whether wretched or comic, has by chance furnished him with the correct answers, and the rest of the film, shown in flashbacks, proves him right. The film’s style is what you might call urban-manic: super-heated performances, blazing colors, and camerawork that duels with the editing for boldness and speed. The energy that is produced is impossible to resist… and make sure you stay for the dance sequence over the final credits (it’s a knockout!) SLUMDOG was the unabashed hit of the 2008 Telluride Film Festival, its first public screening.

Who is SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE for? For those who like rags-to-riches stories, exotic fairy tales, gritty realism and uplifting messages in their films. This is a rare cross-over film that appeals to almost everyone over 10.

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

What’s being said about SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE? “Boyle’s most ambitious film to date is also his greatest. Simply put, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is one of the best—if not the best—films of 2008, as teeming with life as the slums it depicts.” Pam Grady at Boxoffice.com. And: “Driven by fantastic energy and a torrent of vivid images of India old and new, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is a blast. Danny Boyle’s film uses the dilemma of a poor teenager suspected of cheating…. to tell a story of social mobility that is positively Dickensian in its attention to detail and the extremes of poverty and wealth within a culture.” Todd McCarthy at Variety.com

See the SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE movie trailer here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/slumdogmillionaire/