The Upgrade

This short disturbed me greatly. It was interesting, but quite disturbing. I am a film maker who makes short films. I have made shorts and know how it is done. I have learned that all films (short or long) MUST have a POSITIVE message. "The Upgrade" allows us to watch the ungrateful to get what they want, but FOR WHAT? What has Minnie Driver's character learned in the end of the story? One IFILM member, "spoonido," compares "The Upgrade" to the work of Lucille Ball, but what he is forgetting is that on every episode of "I Love Lucy," Lucy learned a lesson about how status does not matter and that people love her for who she is!

I had one question I was asking myself while watching "The Upgrade:" why did Minnie Driver decide to do this short? She is so talented, so beautiful, and she is very funny when she wants to be (if you don't believe me, rent "Return to Me"). The only answer I can come up with is that maybe she couldn't get a job after "Beautiful," but even so ...

It's not that every piece of film made by a prominent or semi-prominent star needs to be an exceptional piece of work or constantly showing a special merit. It's actually fun to see "major" stars, and hopefully there are also good actors, do a short that does not require highbrow analysis. Yet, I was wondering why Minnie Driver or Mimi Rogers thought this short is the one they want to do. It is told is very straightforward but without any words, so the shift has to be on the visuals and the synch between them and the music. In that respect, the film does OK. But I did expect more of the script besides having Driver physically preventing Rogers from going on board. That's too simplistic. The decision not to use any dialogue was the oddest one but I guess it was derived from the format - short with a simple story. So in a way, it's a Bennie Hill on heels. Slapstick on the way to the coveted First Class Upgrade.