AFI Names the Top Ten Films of 2007

The crime tale “No Country for Old Men,” the oil saga “There Will Be Blood” and the legal drama “Michael Clayton” were among critical favorites that landed on the American Film Institute’s list of the year’s 10 best movies.

No Country for Old Men

Also on the AFI’s list, released Sunday, were the jewel-heist story “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” the stroke-victim tale “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” the road drama “Into the Wild,” the pregnancy comedies “Juno” and “Knocked Up,” the animated rodent comedy “Ratatouille,” and the sibling comic drama “The Savages.”

Unlike other film honors, the institute does not rank films or pick one as the year’s best. The filmmakers behind the top-10 choices will be honored at a luncheon Jan. 11.

There Will Be Blood

Many of the films on the list picked up Golden Globe nominations last week and are expected to compete for Academy Awards. Nominations come out Jan. 22.
Among Globe best-drama nominees were “No Country for Old Men,” Joel and Ethan Coen’s Texas thriller starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin; “There Will Be Blood,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s California oil-boom epic with Daniel Day-Lewis; and “Michael Clayton,” Tony Gilroy’s corporate-lawsuit drama starring George Clooney.

The AFI also released a top 10 list of TV shows and movies for 2007, featuring “Dexter,” ”Everybody Hates Chris,” ”Friday Night Lights,” ”Longford,” ”Mad Men,” ”Pushing Daisies,” ”The Sopranos,” ”Tell Me You Love Me,” ”30 Rock” and “Ugly Betty.”
The top 10 lists were chosen by two 13-member panels, one each for movies and television. Members included actress Melissa Gilbert, filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan and critics Leonard Maltin, David Ansen and Richard Schickel.