Directors, producers and actors delivered great entertainment over winter break. Two standout films raised the bar before the new year.

“The Wolf of Wall Street”

Director Martin Scorsese directed this page-to-big-screen film, which features Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill.

“The Wolf of Wall Street” is about infamous stockbroker Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio), who was convicted and sentenced for fraud and money laundering. After almost two years in prison, Belfort became a motivational speaker, sharing lessons learned from his illegal actions and addictions.

The movie is almost three hours long but is still worth the ticket price. “Wall Street,” although extremely graphic, is quite brilliant. The dynamic film ranges from moments of sincerity to insane to downright hilarious. Two compelling actors enhanced these dynamics.

The shining star of the movie is DiCaprio, as was proven by his Golden Globe win.

Another impressive performance came from Hill. Even though his character appeared high throughout the majority of the movie, he still brought some great laughs for the audience.

The music, cinematography and script are also noteworthy parts of the incredible “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

“American Hustle”

I really hope you didn’t miss this winter break release, a Golden Globe-winning movie.

“American Hustle” tells the complex story of con artists Irving Rosenfeld and Sydney Prosser. The lovers are caught by the FBI and are forced to catch corrupt politicians.

Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper pull audience members into their fascinating character portrayals.

Bale, Adams, Lawrence and Cooper kept audience members captivated even during the longer, informative scenes. Even though it is not an action-packed movie, the tense moments are very entertaining.

This Oscar-worthy film is a must-see.