I didn't think it was "the best movie ever." It was well acted and well constructed, though given the talent attached to it, no big surprise. The message was delivered with the typical sort of heavy-handedness that keeps similar movies (American History X) in the "good but not great" category. Also, my roommate spotted 'plot surprise A' early in the film which sort of ruined the impact of one of the major climactic scenes later.
I actively avoid reading movie reviews. I can usually tell what movies I am going to see in the theater, which is almost none. Too expensive, so unless it is something I am really interested in seeing, I wait and rent it. Rental is so cheap I tend to go in once every 2-3 months and grab 6 or so movies that I thought might be interesting but passed seeing in theatres.