Some of the best films are released during the Christmas/New Year holiday season to qualify for Oscar nominations. The following four films will go into wide release this January and they’re all must see movies:

The Wrestler

We?ve been a fan of Mickey Rourke’s since his bit role in “Body Heat” as a no good, ex-con with a soft spot for his two bit attorney. Darren Aronofsky’s incredible film is tailor made for Rourke and his capabilities to turn the most disgusting of men into a character of compassion that an audience can feel for. “The Wrestler” is a film that finally shows the true world of wrestling, complete with steroid injections and rigged outcomes. Rourke was trained for the movie by WWE wrestler Afa the Wild Samoan, and is brilliant as the former legend, Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson, worn down by years of beatings and painkillers. Following a death defying match against Necro Butcher, the Ram has a heart attack, and he’s told he can never wrestle again. It serves as a wake up call to build a new life and mend the wrongs he’s done in the past. He starts by looking up his estranged daughter, a cameo by the great Evan Rachel Wood, who he constantly placed second to his career. Next, he opens his heart to a stripper, Marisa Tomei in top form, in hopes of building a future. Failing at both, he heads back to the ring for what could possibly be his final act.

The Tale of Despereaux

In a season filled with serious Oscar contenders mixed with badly done Christmas stories designed to capitalize on the Dollar, comes the story of a tiny mouse with oversized ears. Despereaux was born too big for his little world. Refusing to live his life recoiling like a rat, he befriends a Princess and learns to read books. He’s captivated by stories of knights, dragons and fair maidens. Banished from Mouseworld for being more man than mouse, Despereaux is rescued by another outcast, Roscuro, who also wants to hear the tales. But when the Princess denies Roscuro’s friendship, he plots revenge. He kidnaps the Princess and Despereaux discovers he is the only one who can rescue her. Voiced by the ever charming and ingenuous Matthew Broderick, The Tale of Despereaux is a treat for the whole family.

The Reader

Any film with the great Kate Winslet in it needs to be seen. Arguably the best actress of her generation, Winslet is bold and mesmerizing as a former Nazi prison guard who begins a passionate affair with a fifteen year old boy named Michael only to suddenly and inexplicably disappear. Eight years later, Michael, now a young law student observing Nazi war trials, meets his former lover again while she’s on trial for a hideous crime she refuses to defend herself against. Michael gradually realizes his boyhood love may be guarding a secret she considers to be more shameful than murder. There are enormous pressures in society to be a part of the pack. To do as others say you’re suppose to do. This is the genius of The Reader. It’s not a movie about German Guilt or just another film about the Horrors of the Holocaust. It’s the story about the lost of innocence when you realize you don?t have the courage to stand up and fight against the crowd.

Gran Torino

You can’t go through Oscar season without a dose of Clint Eastwood. In Gran Torino, we have ourselves an aging Dirty Harry at his very best. Clintwood plays Walt Kowalski a grumpy old dog that can’t get along with his kids or his neighbors. The only thing he seems to care about is his prize possession, a 1973 Gran Torino that he keeps in cherry condition. When his neighbor Tao, a young Hmong teenager, tries to steal his Gran Torino, Walt sets out to reform the kid. Drawn against his will into the life of Tao’s family, Walt finds himself protecting then from the gangs that threaten their ‘hood. Vintage Eastwood as the toughest senior citizen you’ll ever run across.

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