Our trusty Oscar Buzzmeter contributor Kevin Lewin of World Entertainment News Network wants to alert Gold Derby readers to what he calls his "earliest Oscar pick this year" — "Paris 36," distributed by Oscars-savvy Sony Pictures Classics, which most recently had "Rachel Getting Married," "Frozen River," "The Class" and "Waltz with Bashir" in the derby.

When it was shown at the Toronto and Montreal film festivals, it was widely compared to past Oscar contender "Amelie" in whimsical approach. But it also deals with tough political themes and social issues as it aims to capture the spirit of life in the music halls of Paris prior to World War II. It opens April 3 in limited release.

Variety predicted that "Paris 36" will have "slow-burn positive word of mouth" and said it "can't help but recall" a few films that did well in recent Oscar derbies: "Moulin Rouge!" and "La Vie en Rose." The trade paper described the pic thus in its review: "A bracingly old-fashioned, lushly visualized showbiz meller set against pre-World War II Gallic political unrest, 'Paris 36' is a loving tip of the hat to studio-bound French pics of the period that's plenty entertaining on its own terms."

Now add to that the views below penned by Kev for Gold Derby readers:

As the dark days of the recession grip the world, the movie house has never been more important -- and the right film can help us all escape the harsh realities of life, even if it's just for a couple of hours.

I like the best blockbusters, the well-made dramas and the crack-up comedies as much as the next man, but it's often the little films that just touch you, which provide the most relief from the doom and gloom outside the cinema.

And, just like last year's "The Visitor," we already have a gem of a movie to look forward to -- and, no big surprises, it's French.

I'm one of those lucky guys who doesn't always have to pay to see movies, and that means I can risk a few hours to watch a film that might just raise my spirits. It's more miss than hit, but occasionally I find treasure in the darkness of a screening room.

So, just like I spread the word about Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" last year, I'm offering up "Paris 36" as my earliest Oscar pick this year.

It's another Sony Pictures Classics instant classic -- a "Cinema Paradiso"-esque foreign film all about community, family and hope, set among the hardships of pre-war France. It's the perfect film for the times -- all about how an eclectic bunch of actors, stagehands and their friends band together to save a vaudeville theater.