Every year, the biggest award contenders are invariably rolled out to the masses in December, if we’re lucky. More often, they open in select cities in the last few weeks of the year and people in, say, Boynton Beach, Florida, don’t get to see them until January or even February.

That’s the situation we find ourselves in once again this year. Of the films I’ve seen so far, only The Dark Knight and Rachel Getting Married have any realistic shot at Best Picture. And I haven’t missed anything that’s in the running (save for Milk, which has been on such a slow rollout in this area that I’ve been unable to find a theater playing it for two weeks now).

So here’s a look at the films I’ve yet to see in the order I want to see them:

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
David Fincher, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in a film that promises to be visually extraordinary and emotionally resonant. I trust Fincher to deliver a Forrest Gump sort of thing without that film’s weaknesses.

2. Milk
Wonderful reviews for Sean Penn (and the whole cast) as well as Gus Van Sant’s treatment of Harvey Milk’s story have me dying to see it. If only it would expand out of the two or three South Florida theaters currently showing it.

3. Doubt
John Patrick Shanley’s award-winning play hits the big screen with Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and a purportedly scene-stealing Viola Davis in starring roles. Oh yeah, I’m there.

4. Slumdog Millionaire
Danny Boyle has done some interesting work in his career, and these are the best reviews he’s ever gotten. Sounds like a weird mix of a gritty foreign coming-of-age tale and a feel-good underdog film.

5. Seven Pounds
The mysterious plot of this film intrigues me far less than the prospect of Will Smith stretching his dramatic chops… he hasn’t failed me yet.

6. Frost/Nixon
Another stage play turned into a feature film, I’m fascinated by the history here and what I hear are wonderful performances by Frank Langella and Michael Sheen.

7. Valkyrie
This Tom Cruise Nazi adventure film was once written off as a joke to be dumped in early ’09, but strong early word of mouth pushed it back into December. Hard to argue with a cast that includes Cruise, Tom Wilkinson, Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Izzard, Terence Stamp and Bill Nighy.

8. The Wrestler
I’ve yet to see a Darren Aronofsky film but I admire his boldness from afar. And I’m prepared to buy into the Mickey Rourke comeback story… I’ve always loved his early work and he made another great stab at a comeback in Sin City that went woefully unnoticed.

9. Revolutionary Road
Leo and Kate reunited, with her hubby Sam Mendes at the helm. Lots of pedigree here, though I fear it will be a pretty depressing couple of hours.

10. The Reader
See above. I read the novel several years ago, and I’ll watch Kate Winslet in pretty much anything. I’m guessing they’ll push her for Supporting Actress in this flick so she can pull down a double nomination. She’s my generation’s Meryl Streep.