Starz Denver Film Festival 2011 must-see pick for Monday, November 7: Tyrannosaur

Again this year, Starz Denver Film Festival artistic director Brit Withey is offering his must-see picks for each day of the fest -- including many flicks that movie lovers might otherwise miss amid the flood of silver-screen goodies.

Here, he shares his choice for tonight: Tyrannosaur.

Tyronnosaur Directed by Paddy Considine 8:45 p.m. Monday, November 7 Denver FilmCenter/Colfax

"This is a British film, and I think it's one of the better acting ensemble pieces in the festival this year," says Withey. "The story revolves around two characters who are at odds with one another on the surface, but are forced together by circumstances. One (Peter Mullan) is a hard-drinking, hard-fighting, out-of-work widower who spends most of his day at a bar, causing trouble -- not necessarily looking for it, but not shying away from it, either. And the other (Olivia Colman) is a devout Christian woman who owns a fabric store down the street."

The pair "strike up an unlikely friendship, mostly because both are lonely," Withey continues, "and they end up supporting each other. And they're both incredible, incredible, incredible in their roles.

"I wouldn't say the film is absolutely redemptive in the end -- nobody really ends up happy, I don't think. But the film stays true to itself all the way through. I think it's courageous -- a hard film about the hard-knock life."

For more details, click here. Look below to watch the trailer -- and check back each day throughout the festival for more of Brit's picks.