Because the studios hold all their important movies until the end of the year so they are Oscar-eligible, the movies that come out right after New Years are never that significant. However, we in Cadenza don’t want you to not see any movies all semester, so here are some of our best (and worst) bets.

If you want to see the formula for a successful ensemble romantic comedy, look at “Love, Actually.” The British Christmas flick has already become a classic, and for good reason. The stories are all engaging and understated, and they connect to one another without stretching the boundaries of coincidence.

I know how busy Washington University students are during the semester, so there are probably a lot of movies you wanted to see but just couldn’t find the time to. Here are ten movies to watch over winter break (or during reading week, when anything seems better than studying some more). “50/50”: Wash. U.

“The Artist” (Nov. 23) Normally, a black-and-white silent film from a French director with two unknowns in the leading roles wouldn’t be something this highly anticipated. “The Artist,” however, has been charming audiences since its debut at Cannes.

The Muppets were a very important part of my childhood. I was Beaker for Halloween once and won a costume contest. Watching the Muppets 4D experience at Disney World remains the only time I’ve ever been okay with a 4D movie. So when I heard they were making a new movie, I was both excited and terrified.

What you get out of a movie is always going to depend on what’s going on in your own life. This is a recognized fact. So, to write a review of “Margin Call,” I think I need to explain a few things. I’m a Wash. U. senior. I’ve never done my own taxes, never handled my own investments, never had anything more permanent than a summer job.

With the astounding success of the re-release of “The Lion King” in 3D, Disney has announced that it will bring four more classics back to the big screen. Viewers can first expect “Beauty and the Beast” to show up this January, followed by “Finding Nemo” in September 2012, “Monsters, Inc.” in January 2013 and “The Little Mermaid” in September 2013.

“Cedar Rapids” is the first reasonably good movie of 2011. Ed Helms (“The Hangover,” “The Office”) plays Tim Lippe, an idealistic insurance salesman at a convention in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. By combining sophomoric humor with the trope of a fish out of water, “Cedar Rapids” proves enjoyable.

These five movies will ruin your sex life.

“Strings” (directed by “Ghost Busters” veteran Ivan Reitman) tells the story of two mid-20-somethings, Emma (Natalie Portman, who won’t be receiving an Oscar nod for this film) and Adam (Ashton Kutcher). While the two are polar opposites, a series of accidental meetings leads to their peculiar friendship. Eventually, Emma and Adam decide to become “sex friends,” a plot point evident from the film’s title.