Powerful

Don't listen to the negative reviews

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Bunuel, an almost mythic filmmaking figure; the man that crafted masterpiece upon masterpiece in a career spanning decades. Among his most famous films are "Un chien andalou", "The Exterminating Angel", "Belle de Jour", and "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie", his only Oscar winning effort. The film is made up of a multitude of comical scenes and sketches that follows almost no story arc whatsoever. Whatever plot can be pieced together through hilarious scene after scene is very slim and minor. The film focuses on a group of upper class bourgeois friends whose lives seem to be falling apart in a rather surrealist fashion, particularly whenever they attempt to eat dinner together. This premise works as the set up for various gags and satirical jabs that are bizarre but smart. Bunuel was a genius in terms of both humor and the cinematic art form, and this film was perhaps created at the height of his powers when any possible limits were automatically eliminated within the first few minutes of a Bunuel film. His gift for sharp social satire never ceased to be no matter what age he became, and this film may be the most notable example of such a statement. It is a praised and downright beloved film despite its lack of plot and heavy doses of often experimental surrealism. This is a film that has been wildly acclaimed for one ruling reason; yes, it may be a sharp social critique and a brilliant art-house classic and an essential surrealist work, but it is most importantly genuinely hilarious. This is a COMEDY of the highest (and flat out funniest) degree, despite there being a few tragic and legitimately emotional sequences. Once you have witnessed this comic gem of a film, you may very well have reached the peak of world cinema. This work sits atop the mountain of great films, joining the ranks of masterpieces that range from "Citizen Kane" to "Back to the Future" to "Nashville" to "Satantango", and I'm sure it enjoys their company!

Academy Award-winner The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie is a largely surreal comedy film, following a few characters, including a corrupt ambassador from a fictional Latin American country, Miranda. As the title suggests, to a degree it's about uncovering the true, and not necessarily clean, life of the bourgeoisie. It has some success, and also as the title suggests, charm there. I laughed at the couple sneaking out to have sex, coming back to greet their guests with grass in their hair. Some of the characters are involved in drugs. Some resort to violence. There are other absurd things that made me laugh- the man shooting a toy is one.Some things also stood out, not necessarily for comic value. The childhood memory the lieutenant had of his mother's ghost convincing him to kill his evil guardian isn't funny, but is an interesting twist to an already-abstract film. Later, the priest finding himself having to bless the man who killed his parents is another twist, and it's interesting to see how the priest will react to the situation.That said, I found myself enjoying the first half more so than the rest of the film. As we delve deeper into the dreams within dreams, the film loses its structure, and I found myself wanting more plot. Even with the beginning, the laughs weren't coming as fast and furiously as I would have liked. Ultimately, this is a film catered to a certain taste that won't work with everybody.

BEGIN RANT I'm writing this as the movie nears its end. Nothing is happening. Obviously nothing will happen. There have been 2-3 laughs and 1-2 scenes resembling a plot. And the 3 dull bourgeois chicks are bangable. I have literally nothing else to write after seeing this. Maybe this could be a precursor to Monty Python... but Python existed for a few years before this! Jesus the film still hasn't finished. I will soooo forget it, that in 10 years I will probably try to see it again, remembering half way that I already did. It could have been called "Dull people are dull", or "When do we eat?". Or "Boring people try to eat together". But it could be turned into a decent porn movie... END RANT Thank God, the end credits started rolling. I guess that watching any other film by Bunuel (haven't seen any other yet) could have been more interesting. Sorry for the rant :)

I'm just experiencing Bunuel for the first time. I am captivated. Having seen the darker Exterminating Angel first, I had a sense of what he is about. This is another surreal effort that puts upper class people in a situation where they seem to have free will, yet are at the whim of some outside force. Of course, there is always the possibility that the problems lie in their minds. Is it Freudian or Jungian or what? In this a group of wealthy people attempt to eat several meals and are cut off at the pass by several forces, not allowing a conclusion. They are also interesting characters. The women are snobbish and sensual, cold and calculating; one is a drunk. The men are involved in illegal activities and seem to pay a great price. Or do they? That's the issue. They seem to be saddled with guilt. Every so often, a non-sequitir comes along, stops whatever plot has developed, and another dinner is served. A young lieutenant tells the tale of a double murder of his parents and his vengeance. Soldiers appear at dinner. Police arrest them. They are unscathed. I can not tell you any more about what this means because I'm not even sure Bunuel can. It is a striking piece of work, full of humor, disease, and class warfare. Interesting.