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Last week, we posted our Top 10 Most Redeeming Films of 2007. This week, we present our Critics' Choice Awards for the Top 10 Films of 2007.

What's the difference between the lists? The "redeeming" list speaks for itself—films that included a redemptive element, sometimes blatant, sometimes more subtle, but always there.

Our Critics' Choice list, on the other hand, consists of the 10 films that our panel believes were the most excellent films of 2007, whether they carried a redeeming message or not—though five of our top 10 choices also appeared on our Most Redeeming list. But all of the movies here are films of excellence, and many are up for various honors at the upcoming Academy Awards.

We also let each of our voters choose "One That Got Away"—a single film they wish had made our Top Ten list. Think of those extra films as sort of our "honorable mentions."

For each of the top 10 films, we have simply included random comments from our team of critics. To learn more about the film's synopsis, click "Our review" at the end of each summary.

"Smartest script of the year, heartwarming and life-affirming." "Not only does this film have a surprisingly pro-life element, it is also remarkably mature for a high school comedy." "Layers of unexpected complexity and depth." "Wacky and off the wall, but what makes it more than zany Napoleon Dynamite is heart; it's grounded in character and a core of sweet, heartfelt love." "Bitingly droll, tactless yet tender, and infinitely quotable." "Avoids crowdpleasing crassness and sophomoric indulgence (and yes, I'm talking to you, Knocked Up." "Easily the biggest crowd pleaser among this year's most acclaimed films." (Our review.)

"An utterly astonishing cinematic experience, rippling with muscle and sinew, assured and ambitious, a majestic, audacious work." "A fascinating character study about a truly evil man who cares for nothing but his own accumulation of wealth." "This masterfully filmed story of two vampiric charlatans at war is horrifying, revealing how both business and the church can become corrupted by ego and hatred." "Riveting performances all around. Stunning use of sights and sounds." "Engrossing in every way, from the camerawork and cinematography to the haunting score." "It's a film that pulls us into a character and forces us to fester within him like no other film has done in years." (Our review.)

"This isn't a feel-good romance, but expertly tells a story of mistakes and remorse in an all-too-true and heartbreaking way." "Emotionally devastating and intellectually stimulating." "Joe Wright's direction is astonishing, particularly the seamless camera work capturing the evacuation of Dunkirk." "A reflective, cautionary tale about bearing false witness, forgiveness, and yes, atonement." "Stylish and artistically superior." "Lustrous and painterly, it can and will coax tears, but never by relying on maudlin sentimentality or cheap emotional theatrics." (Our review.)

"If Frank Capra made a film about a man, his sex doll, and the nostalgically caricatured community in which they live, this would be it." "Don't let the premise scare you off. This delicate tale is a tender-hearted, beautifully acted movie about compassion, grace, and true love." "Sweet, offbeat, charming." "An extraordinary balancing act, a move that could easily have gone wrong a hundred different ways, but somehow doesn't." "A note-perfect performance from Ryan Gosling." "An incontestable delight." "Everything about this movie is handled just right, striking the right tone." (Our review.)

"Delightful tale of a culinarily gifted rat that builds to an emotional climax as sublime as it is subtle." "The year's most entertaining film from every angle—writing, directing, music, voicework, animation … the whole package." "Reminds us that we should all exercise critical discernment in our diet and beyond—humbly celebrating what is truly excellent." "A delicious, delightful stew of a film." "Totally original and surprising." "This is less a kids' movie that adults can appreciate too, but rather an animated movie for adults that kids can also enjoy." "Another triumph for Pixar and director Brad Bird." (Our review.)

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Related Elsewhere:

The 2007 Readers' Choice Awards	Printer view
You liked movies about hip (and pregnant) teens, animated rats, and former CIA assassins, but most of all, you loved a film about one man who changed the world.

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The 10 Most Redeeming Films of 2007	Printer view
What do monks, kites, unwanted pregnancies, a 19th century abolitionist, and a young man with a life-sized inflatable doll have in common? They're all in movies that we've deemed the ten most redeeming films of 2007.