In April, The Weinstein Company released one of the Toronto Film Festival's biggest hits "The Railway Man."

The movie had been anticipated as it was by director Jonathan Teplitzky, an acclaimed Australian director. The anticipation grew when the Weinstein Company announced that it had acquired U.S. distribution rights and many pundits positioned it as an Oscar contender.

However, when the company announced it would release the movie in April, the buzz died down. When it opened in April, reviews were positive if not overwhelmingly great. However, critics praised the performances, particularly Colin Firth's. After weeks in release, the movie opened nationwide and it flopped. In total, it only made $4 million, which was weak for a movie with an A-list cast which includes Firth and Nicole Kidman.

Part of the problem with the release was that it came out at the same time with "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "Godzilla." The time of the year was incorrect as audiences were interested in seeing blockbuster films, animated features and comedies. Audiences had no interest in a serious drama about a former British Army officer, tormented as a prisoner of war at a Japanese labor camp during World War II, who discovers that the man responsible for much of his treatment is still alive and sets out to confront him.

The heavy subject matter is never good in the summer, as the company learned with its other film "The Immigrant."

With Oscar season underway and so many great performances, it seems everyone is forgetting the marvelous turn by Firth in this film. Back in the spring, critics raved about his work, with one saying, "it might eventually be considered his finest."

Another said, "Colin Firth delivers another of his masterly portrayals of stiff-upper-lipped emotional reserve, but his character's stuffy reticence means that it is all the more powerful when he eventually reveals the depths of hurt left by his harrowing experiences."

Firth has to carry a movie that, without him, would seem a bit uneven and a bit long. Still, his work is awards-worthy. Perhaps if the movie had been released in September or November, the perception would be different and the film would receive buzz. However, with an early release, it seems pundits and the Academy forget there are 12 months in a year.

The Weinstein Company currently has six films in their awards slate, but "The Railway Man" is not on it. The company is a sure bet, with Benedict Cumberbatch to get a nomination in the Best Actor category for "The Imitation Game." However, Weinstein generally shoots for as many nominations as possible. The company's other Best Actor contenders are Bill Murray for "St. Vincent" and Mark Ruffalo for "Begin Again." However, they are comedic performances that do not usually generate attention from the Academy. They are performances that are sure to get Golden Globe nominations.

Colin Firth is a favorite of the Academy as he was nominated two years in a row for his work in "A Single Man" and "The King's Speech." He won for the latter and, interestingly enough, both films were distributed and campaigned by the Weinstein Company. With this relationship already established, it would seem like a done deal that the Weinstein Company would campaign his role. If it worked twice, the third time could also be successful.

"The Railway Man" has other interesting assets, like a striking performance by Jeremy Irvine and a nice turn from Nicole Kidman. The movie is definitely not a Best Picture contender, as it is suffers from some tone issues, and it also covers the same ground that Angelina Jolie's upcoming "Unbroken" will cover.

Nevertheless, before Oscar voters do their tally cheats and critics vote on the best performances of the year, Firth's role should be taken into consideration.

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