If you walked into Prime Video’sUpgradedwith the high hopes of a timeless romance filled with tender moments that make you shiver, then you’ve come to the right place.Upgradedis marketed as a romance between an aspiring art intern and the handsome stranger she meets on the plane, and if you thought that was the timeless romance you came seeking, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any satisfaction. Although their first interaction on the plane promises us chemistry and wit, we end up sluggishly wading through the latter, hoping to find any recurring hint of romance within the relationship. Instead, shift your perspective slightly wider, and you’ll findthe larger-life-life romance between Ana (Camila Mendes) and art.
The love story between humans and art has been the subject of speculation for eons, andUpgradedtaps into this love to bring forth a modern rendition of it. In this world, Ana is voraciously determined tobridge the gap between her and her lover by doggedly climbing the corporate ladderwhile tackling the class differences that accompany it. William (Archie Renaux, known for his role in Netflix’sShadow and Bone) simply becomes the golden ticket for a shorter train ride there, while also becoming a trophy, symbolic of Ana’s victory, in the end. In fact, there ends up being more chemistry between Ana and her boss, with theirThe Devil Wears Pradarelationship becoming simultaneously an obstacle and a vehicle to unite Ana with her great love.
It follows Ana, an aspiring art intern who is invited on a last-minute work trip to London by her super boss, meeting the handsome and wealthy William on the plane.
The Stereotypical Romance in ‘Upgraded’ Is Boring and Expected
Crashing into each other in the first-class lounge of the airport, Ana and Williams' romance literally starts off with a bang, leading into witty banter on the plane. In the closed environment of the intimate first-class seats in the sky, the spark between them engulfs the space as their quick retorts bounce off one another. This private moment is as intoxicating as the Bloody Mary that was spilled, even with Ana’s outrageous lie about being the youngest ever art director in her company. However,this chemistry is only breathtaking in the air, driven further beneath the ground as the plane lands.Mendes returns to her place at center-stageas her interactions withLena Olin’s Catherine feel more flirtatious than the dead air that now hangs between her and William. Even her comment about Catherine looking like she “stepped out of a Jean Beraud painting” creates a closer connection between them and immediately bars William out of the interaction for a moment.
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Art Is Ana’s Real Love Interest in ‘Upgraded’
The vague interpretation of the romance between Ana and William is fairly arbitrary and, if anything, the film treats him as her golden ticket into the art world rather than a solid love interest. Their initial chemistry is wiped off the screen as itpales against the chemistry between Ana and the figures of the art world. Subsequently, William becomes more of a supporting character rather than a solid love interest, propelling Ana’s journey to unite with her real love. A love that is so blindingly obvious, it is ludicrous that we would miss it during our first viewing. Whilstwading through the comedic dialogueand simplicity of her relationship with William, we forget to check out the overwhelming wealth of emotions that exist between Ana and the art she admires.
While the lack of traditional romance inUpgradedcould be read as the film trying to exhibit an empowered young female protagonist trying to make her mark on the world by prioritizing her career, it simply is more than that. As an intern at the lowest rung of the upper-class art world, Ana still has a lot of distance to cover to become closer to her love. She endures the infuriating tasks given by her demanding boss, the relentless bullying of her coworkers and the ethical dilemmas of using people she envies and respects, just for a chance to occupy the same space as her love interest. It is thestuff ofromantic epicswhere the journey of traversing unbidden territory and slaying beaststo rescue a loved one is just translated to the modern world.Upgradedmayfeature female empowermentin it, but at heart, it is a love story.
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The height of this love is encapsulated in one critical scene where Ana sees Catherine’s art collection for the very first time. Ana’s company had traveled to London to auction off one of the most extravagant collections of art that had been passed to a widow after her husband’s death. Before Ana realizes Catherine was the widow in question, she gazes around her collection of Renoirs and Cezannes,completely enamored by the power of the art surrounding herand emphatically points out that they are all expressions of love. Her own love for them is so influential, it causes Catherine to also perceive them similarly and thus refuse to auction them. While thisendangers Ana’s position in her company, especially since Catherine believes Ana is the director of the auction house, her passion ultimately brings her closer to establishing herself in the fine arts world.
‘Upgraded’ Flips Gender Roles in the Finale
Alongside earning the position as a gallery owner she has always dreamed of, which allows her to be constantly surrounded by art,Ana also wins the guy in the end. After the obligatory third-act breakup, William doesn’t return until the 6-month-later epilogue, where Ana is thriving in the midst of her work and love. As William strolls into the gallery after it closes, it really does feel likehe is the trophy she wins after the successful growth of her gallery, especially since it is on the day her boss Claire Dupont (Marisa Tomei) visits and raises her glass in appreciation and respect. Gender roles are completely reversed as William becomes the symbol of victory in Ana’s story, a notion that can only be compared toThe Devil Wears Prada.
‘Upgraded’ and ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ Share Many Similarities
But the parallels betweenUpgradedandThe Devil Wears Pradadon’t end there. Ana and Claire’s chemistry-laden professional relationship is essentially modeled after Andrea and Miranda’s own. Thepowerful women are overbearing and fastidious, yet there are moments of quiet surprise and silent acknowledgments of being impressed by their employee’s efforts and achievements. In turn, the assistants are initially disheveled and constantly on the brink of turmoil, but eventually learn to thrive in their positions. This culminates in both finales, whereeach boss gives their respective former employees a subtle signal of respect, treating them as equals.
Both assistants walk away from their previous employment to pursue their own happiness, where Andrea found it in herself, Ana found it in her love of the arts. This passion is the driving force of the film, especially as itcloses with a piece that cycles back to the start of the film.The closing artwork we see isHilma Af Klint’s 1914 paintingof what looks to be concentric blocks of half-circles on a red background. Named “The Swan,” the painting is part of a collection where a black and white swan are illustrated as an almost Ying Yang symbol but are progressively broken down into geometric and abstract shapes with each subsequent piece, until this last one. Klint was inspired by the philosopher’s stone, a compound rumored to be able to turn any alloy metal into gold, and thus depicted two opposing forces that continue to become almost purer dimensional versions of themselves.
As such, the painting essentially sums up Ana’s journey, as she battles opposing external and internal forces to achieve her dreams. In the end,she is able to achieve the purest version of her dreams, where she is constantly surrounded by romance with no exacting demands to fulfill, apart from simply sharing her love. Though we went into the film with expectations of acheesy rom-combetween two strangers, we come out gushing over this unexpected love story that flips the script of a traditional romance.
Upgradedis available to watch now on Prime Video in the U.S.
