Paramount moved the release of Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island” from October to February, taking it out of the ‘09 Oscar race. But some experts think it could still be a contender for next year’s Oscars. Will Academy voters remember it? Well, Kit Bowen says it’s a film that sticks with you for a long time.

Spanish Director Pedro Almodovar is back with “Broken Embraces,” teaming up again with starlet Penelope Cruz. After winning an Oscar last year, Cruz delivers another terrific performance, and the movie could win Best Foreign Language film. Christa Youngpeter reviews the film.

Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” is a gem, writes Kit Bowen. Given an opportunity to showcase his talents, Colin Firth gives a memorable performance as a lonely gay college professor. Julianne Moore is deserving of her first Oscar, Bowen says, while Ford’s directorial debut is hard to top.

Clint Eastwood’s “Invictus” is a serviceable sports film, but it’s a heartfelt true story of one great leader and his unyielding quest to unite his country, writes Kit Bowen. Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon deliver Oscar-worthy performances in the film about the 1995 South Africa rugby team.

Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air” is generating plenty of Oscar buzz. In addition to a solid performance from George Clooney, actresses Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga could also move into Oscar contention. But while reviewer Danny Baram likes the film, he finds some flaws.

Lee Daniels’ movie “Precious” is not the easiest film to watch, writes Jeremy Martin. But if you’re looking for a well-made movie that educates viewers on society’s ills, then “Precious” is something special. It will be interesting to see how Oscar voters react.

Brad Pitt may headline “Inglourious Basterds,” but the Quentin Tarantino flick has fantastic performances from Diane Kruger and Melanie Laurent. Both women should get Oscar consideration, says Mallory Pickard, for their portrayals of femme fatales in Nazi Germany.

Carved almost verbatim from Cormac McCarthy’s compelling novel, “The Road” is a depressing, gut-wrenching journey that is strangely uplifting at its core, writes Kit Bowen in her review of the potential Oscar contender. Bowen interviewed the film’s star Viggo Mortensen last week.

The much anticipated “Where the Wild Things Are” won’t be up for too many Oscars, with the possibly exception of Best Original Score, writes Christa Youngpeter. But the film adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s children’s book is mostly entertaining, and it works for both kids and adults.

While “The Blind Side” might appear like a sappy film, it’s much more than that, writes Kit Bowen. The Michael Lewis book-turned-movie is “honest, heartfelt, and surprisingly inspirational,” thanks in part to a terrific performance from potential Oscar candidate Sandra Bullock.