The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

Luis Buñuel directed this 1972 comedy, the fourteenth of the fifteen features he made, following Tristana and preceding That Obscure Object of Desire. He wrote the screenplay with Jean-Claude Carrière, and Serge Silberman produced. Fernando Rey plays Don Rafael, the ambassador of the fictional republic of Miranda, while Delphine Seyrig and Paul Frankeur play Simone and François Thévenot, and Stéphane Audran and Jean-Pierre Cassel play Alice and Henri Sénéchal. Bulle Ogier appears as Florence. A group of wealthy friends keep arranging to dine together, and each attempt collapses for a different absurd reason: a mix-up over the date, a restaurant whose proprietor has just died, military manoeuvres in a garden, sudden amorous distractions. The meals are endlessly postponed, and the line between what is happening and what is dreamt becomes progressively harder to draw, in keeping with Buñuel's surrealist approach. The film was a co-production between Spain, Italy and France.

On IMDb it holds 7.7 out of 10 from around 50,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.5 out of 10 from roughly 945 votes. A critics' rating of 9 out of 10 across 60 reviews places it considerably higher than the audience scores, suggesting stronger regard among professional reviewers than among the broader viewing public. The 101-minute film has held a durable reputation since its 1972 release.