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Oscars 2020

I never see movies anymore, but I did see "Frozen II," and it's clear that (1) the Academy was right *not* to give a Best Animated Picture nod to this movie and (2) the Academy was right to highlight "Into the Unknown."

The fact that a movie is financially successful can mean very little. It can have little to do with the quality of the movie in question. Also, a movie can be politically progressive, in exciting ways, and still sort of bad. "Frozen II" is lumpy and bewildering; the Olaf shtick becomes tiresome; too much exposition happens in a too-clumsy way.

All that said, three cheers for "Into the Unknown." Idina Menzel does not have a great track record when performing live--so I worry about that. Could Billy Porter do the song at the Oscars? Or Brendan Urie?

"Into the Unknown" has many nice flourishes. I'm fond of the verbs: "Are you out there? Do you know me? Can you feel me? Can you show me?" I also like the quiet comedy: "I can hear you--but I won't." (Foolish mortal!) And I like the confessional diaristic tone, a bit unusual for a Disney movie: "I'm afraid of what I'm risking if I follow you....."

It's odd that a feminist song within a feminist movie would give cover-version duties to Brendan Urie. Why have the cover version at all, when Idina Menzel does her own version so well? But I really like Urie's performance, and I especially like that he does the "siren's" ululations rather than Elsa's ululations, at the climax. He has a nice falsetto. 

That's all. I'm rooting for "Frozen II"--at least in this one small way--on Oscars night.
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