LeatherSofaSounds

I found this to be an eye-opening docu-series. I have a 2-year-old and wanted to better understand the social media world he will likely enter in the future. I was expecting this docu-series to feature tragic, "E! True Hollywood Story"-like stories, but I was (pleasantly) surprised that this wasn't the case. The documentary filmmaker actually showed a lot of empathy toward both the kidfluencers and their parents. At least in terms of the families this documentary filmmaker followed, the parents of influential kidfluencers appear to be doing what they believe is best for their family. While it is easy, from the sidelines, to judge parents of kidfluencers as "exploiting" them, or opening them up to creepers who watch them online, this series showed these parents as being very protective of their children, and thinking in terms of how their social media business will pay for their kids' college education. It's hard to judge parents who have such goals in mind. One of the parents said that he absolutely loves the social media business that he has created with his kids, because it allows him to spend time with them on the job, and because the business is paying for their future.

The series does feature families of kids who do want to be influencers but don't make it. In that set of families, one of the most poignant moments comes in episode 3, when the show features an aspiring kid-influencer named Ethan and his mom. His mom (who has a full-time job that's unrelated to the social media project) is really the driving force behind the attempt to make Ethan into a social media influencer, but her attempts fail. Although Ethan is funny and charming, he just can't get traction with a large audience. His mom is frustrated, and Ethan is sad. The filmmaker asks Ethan if he's happy or sad. He says that he's sad. The filmmaker asks Ethan what makes him happy. He says, "Spending time with my mom and dad." That line put tears in my eyes. To her great credit, Ethan's mom drops the project in order to simply spend time with her kid and be in the moment and create memories, rather than try to force him to become a kid-fluencer and put on a fake show.

Great docu-series. Well worth watching, especially for parents.

Recently re-watched Braveheart. It holds up. A gem even if its creator is a bit of a coo coo head. The cinematography is incredible. The sweeping battle scenes (likely more fiction than fact) are nevertheless visually stunning. Several actors, including Mel Gibson, provide an intense performance with emotional depth. It's still hard to believe that Mel Gibson directed, produced, and starred in the film. An emotionally moving film, even if filled with historical inaccuracies. The pacing remains strong, balancing quieter moments of character development with large-scale spectacle. Despite its flaws, it's one of those epics that manages to stir something deep every time you watch it. (Wasn't a fan of the music trying to create emotions-a point or two deducted for that. Feel like using music to spark emotions in a viewer of a film is cheating.)

I am still stunned that this movie won so many Oscars, including the Best Picture. Genuinely, one of the most mediocre movies I've ever seen. It is a basic film, and I do not mean basic as a compliment. The plot and themes of revenge and honor and duty are too straightforward and simple. The narrative arm of the film is utterly predictable. The dialogue is embarrassingly simple and overall the script is one big cliché. Maximus, the main character, is one-dimensional. Despite the film's grand scale and production value, it lacks emotional nuance and complexity. The supporting characters are either caricatures or forgettable, offering little depth to the story. Even the action sequences, though visually impressive, begin to feel repetitive and hollow by the end.