Great but a little self-conscious
350950
There are so many amazing things about this movie that it is hard to criticize it. Just saw it in the theater: waited long after its initial release and the unceasing promotion, at least on radio. It was one of those movies that you get sick of before you see it because of all the promotion about how great it was and how great Daniel Day-Lewis was. And, they have to be disappointed that they didn't win an Oscar for Best Picture, although Lewis deservedly won for Best Actor.

I would put Lewis' performance was in the same category as Robert DeNiro's Jake LaMotta. He gave every ounce of himself in this performance, just as DeNiro did. This is one of the greatest movie acting performances I've ever seen, but it is not surprising because you could say that about nearly everything Lewis has done, even as Cecil in A Room With a View. However, oddly, I could sort of see the argument that some have made that he's actually miscast in this role. Is Daniel Day-Lewis really ever believable as an tough, wild, entrepreneurial oilman? I guess if he was believable as a Mohegan, he can be believable here.

Though the story is effectively told, it is a backdrop to a more fascinating father-son, brother-brother, Biblical kind of storytelling. And for that, Daniel Day-Lewis is very well cast. This is what makes this movie one for the ages, perhaps living up to the hype. The movie is kind of too self-consciously channeling John Ford, John Huston, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, etc. I love those movies and so in a way it was thrilling to watch something that aspired to that kind of ageless greatness, but there's a fine line, and this movie sometimes feels a little too aware of itself and the legacy it is trying to leave.

The music score is rather good, but often it is too loud and too much of a presence. It became annoying, frankly. Perhaps that was part of the effect the movie makers were trying to achieve: trying to keep the audience at a certain level, or state of annoyance at all times. The music was extremely interesting and all, but just too much. During some scenes, you just wished it would go away.

In the end, I couldn't help but think with some deft editing and ratcheting down the music to make the movie tighter, it might've been great on the scale of these other greats. The story of oil discovery in this country has not been told well enough, despite how important and telling it is to the whole history of the U.S.A. And, blending it with the story of the preacher is also great. But was there ever really a Paul? I guess I need to read the book. In the end, is it success in others that Daniel Plainview can't stand, or is it failure and weakness? Who is the real preacher or ascetic in this story? Once the preacher admits his weakness, well....

Anyway, this movie should not be missed - there's my hype. But it is a few tweaks away from being truly great.
1569969
I too feel like the gushing reviews somewhat dampened my otherwise pleasant experience with this book.  For me, it would have been better without so many critics insisting I would love the book.  But that said, he IS funny and this book is well worth reading.  His self-deprecation grounds the story, and his characterizations of his family are incredibly vivid.  I just wish future editions would pare down the reviewers' comments.
1056358
Bill Maher's comedy is smart and funny. He is wicked fast and uses language with surgical precision. However a bit too judgmental for my taste. A little self deprecation and I suspect I'd be belly laughing rather than smiling throughout. I thought the Saudi fashion show at the end fell flat.
798930
I love quick and easy meals like this, so was excited to try it. And it was really quite good. I took the advice from the other reviews on how to best do the coconut part, and it came out wonderful. The only reason for knocking off a star is that it feels like there are pieces of grass in it and it doesn't have a good mouth feel. I know it's a necessary spice, but it's just a little off-putting. I think, though, if I use more veggies, it might hide the texture more...so if I buy these again, I'll try it that way. But it's still worth buying.
3715100
Really like this since I tend to put tons of sunscreen on my face. This allows me to take walks without having to load up on sunscreen. Only issue is that when you have it down (like welder's mask) the film is slightly distorting and can feel a little weird when walking. I usually have it up enough so that I can look straight down but not through film so I don't get the kind of blurry distortion of the ground when walking. Also, it's slightly embarrassing to wear since EVERYBODY stares.
308948
It's so cute! The only thing is is that I'm a bit embarrassed to wear it out in public, it's so short I feel like I'm completely exposed. But I mean for just taking pictures and around the house it's cool!
98261
We all think we know ourselves really well, but, as this book reveals, most of us don't see ourselves as clearly as we could/should.

Tasha Eurich has written a thorough and interesting book on the self-awareness. In Insight, she talks about the anatomy of self-awareness, our own blind spots and our roadblocks to personal insight. She then provides tools for gaining self-awareness and talks about the myths and truths of self awareness.

The Good:
Eurich provides interesting insight into, um, Insight. There is plenty of information on how we can be blind to our own behaviors and beliefs. The author focuses on self-awareness unicorns - the people who learned to become perfectly self-aware. I enjoyed reading about the studies and science of self awareness.

The Bad:
The prose feels a bit... salesy. I feel like I am sitting in a self-help rally being pumped up by and thrilled by the author. She peppers the book with "shocking" "astonishing" "urgent" "critical" information that feels more appropriate to a soap opera than a scientific look at self-awareness. I also felt that the tips for gaining self-awareness weren't very well-laid out. The author also tends to use phrases that I was unfamiliar with, clearly assuming that we all have some sort of experience in the field.
3909050
I'm white. I think natural African hair can be beautiful, whether in a neat afro, or in braids or in locs. I liked this movie, although it was a bit depressing. The ladies with straightened hair telling their natural hair sporting colleague that they didn't think her hair was professional made me want to bang my head on my desk--the thing was, I thought her short natural 'fro' was more professional than their straightened hair which looked fake and artificial to me. I think a lot of white people first interact seriously with blacks in college, and a lot of college professors keep their hair natural. For that reason I think some of us associate natural black hair with educational attainment.

I wished this movie had shown more natural hair at the end and all the different options for it, and I wished they showed how beautiful it can be. Even a simple ponytail on a black woman can look like an elegant bun, depending on her hair type. Anyway, still good, and I would highly recommend it.
4422948
I was really shocked to find that I liked this very much. The only issue I have with it is that because the whole back is able to be seen through the lace you can't exactly wear a bra. So you can see can see A complete breast silhouette... very sexy but I was a little self-conscious. I guess I should get some very inconspicuous pasty's. LOL
2140513
I love this film, though I would recommend it in French with English subtitles. The English voices are not as good as the French voices- Not that I am particularly fluent in French- just the English voices sound like 4 people are voicing all the parts and they sound like they are trying to act- it is very distracting. But the film itself is beautiful. It is a French family film so attitudes toward nudity are a little more relaxed and more healthy than American attitudes- which to my mind make nudity a much bigger deal than it needs to be. But great message, a nice twist... all in all a great film.
2729750
I really like this product.  It looks great and keeps me warm.  My only gripe would be that the sleeves are a tad short, and the way that it's sewn around the shoulders makes it hard for me to cross my arms or raise them high without looking and feeling awkward.  Other than that, this was a great buy.
4359134
This thing is amazing! It's easy to put on and looks great. I'm left-handed, so it kinda sucks trying to open it one-handed with my left hand, but.... I'm a minority with that complaint. Also, the inside, while soft, shows dirt easily.
1609835
A good read but a bit TOO self-centred for my taste.  But I'm balancing his account with others that show a few more 'warts' ....
2246538
I like this game, it's much more better than wii sports. But my only problem is that it is so difficult to draw yourself in your profile...they have hundreds of things you can change to make the person similar to you, but it is just so difficult to make the person looks natural and similar! All EA games have this kind of problem...
727605
The songs are simple and inspirational, very down-to-earth. I also love Dr. Goodall's honest sharings. So both the songs and sharings complement each other perfectly.

My only gripe is that the sharings are very soft in volume, so I have to turn up the volume considerably high. Then when the songs come on, my companions and I jump each time, because it becomes too loud. If this can be fixed, then it would be absolutely perfect.
4300310
Although most readers have a problem with the diet portion of the book, I loved how she shared her feelings that many of us who are overweight feel.  I'm not doing the same diet, but didn't let that bother me.

I could have done without knowing she and her husband have sex every morning and about the time he slipped his hand down her pants.  I'm not sure why she would want everyone in the world to know all the intimate details of her sex life with her husband.  I also could have done without the swearing.

Otherwise it's a great book.
382021
I like the brevity of the episodes and the realism that is portrayed of the LGBTQA+ community. Yet, I was lost at points when it alluded to the person's back story that I either missed or didn't catch. I appreciate the depiction of the honest difficulties of relationships and work, even though, I tire of the portrayal on television and movies of gay life through the eyes of emerging/young adults, even though I am one! I would have preferred if it was focused on Dom rather than Patrick; there seems to be a latent ageism (that only younger men can be gay or at least actively so) in this show. I can't wait to see how Dom's relationship with Lynn, an older man, develops (matures?) in the next season. All in all, I would recommend giving this show a chance, and to see it in a similar vein as the show "Queer as Folk," yet also appreciate its differences from that show as well.