Okay, I saw and loved the movie. A lot. Given that I tend to like modern movies a lot more than older movies - I know, I know, blasphemy - I would have to say it is easily in my top 15 movies of all time.
Part of the reason I think a lot of people end up loving it so much, is that it's really gratifying and enjoyable to watch a movie that gives a voice to what people are feeling, and I feel like this movie definitely did that. It was simultaneously escapist fantasy along with real and political, which is a tough line to toe and I feel respect must be given for that, too.
While in film student, what does this shot mean type film critique, it wasn't the best movie I've ever seen (or even the best movie I've seen in the last two months, Good Night and Good Luck was better on purely film merits). It WAS, however, one of my absolute FAVORITES because, while it didn't make any new points, and sometimes handled its ideas a little clunkily, it made me feel like I wanted to be one of the people in the Guy Fawkes mask as Parliament blew up.