( Reuters ) - "No Country For Old Men," a gory meditation on moral decline, and "There Will Be Blood," a gritty drama about a pioneering California oilman, led the nominations for the 80th annual Academy Awards on Tuesday, organizers said.
"Atonement," a British period romance revolving around unrequited passion and devastating lies, picked up seven nominations, as did the legal thriller "Michael Clayton."
All four films were nominated for best picture, along with the quirky teen pregnancy comedy "Juno."
The animated hit "Ratatouille" earned five nominations, while "Juno" and the French-language drama "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" scored four each.
The directors of "No Country For Old Men," "There Will Be Blood," "Juno," "Michael Clayton" and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" were also nominated.
In the lead actor race, "Michael Clayton" star George Clooney will compete against Daniel Day-Lewis for "There Will Be Blood," Johnny Depp for "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," Tommy Lee Jones for "In the Valley of Elah" and Viggo Mortensen for "Eastern Promises."
Australian actress Cate Blanchett received two nominations, for her lead role in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" and for her supporting role as Bob Dylan in "I'm Not There."
The other lead-actress contenders were British veteran Julie Christie for "Away From Her," French actress Marion Cotillard for " La Vie en Rose," Laura Linney for "The Savages" and Canadian actress Ellen Page for "Juno."
The 80th annual Academy Awards will be handed out in Hollywood on February 24. The Hollywood writers strike, now in its 12th week, could force organizers to change the format if the walkout is not resolved by then. The Writers Guild of America has said it would protest the event, and the Screen Actors Guild reiterated on Monday that its members would not cross the picket line to attend Hollywood's biggest night of the year.