Rating: 
Summary: Really Good
Review: Once in awhile I feel really dumb, so what I do to cure that dumbness is watch a foreign film. Suddenly, I feel really intellectual and smart. That's mainly because of two reasons: One, most foreign films have those little subtitles on the bottom of the screen that you have to read. Two, it's a rule that all foreign films have to have no special effects and they have to be about life, death, and deep stuff like that. (...) I love anything surreal. "Surreal" means anything that's really, REALLY out of the ordinary; things that could only happen in a dream. And boy-ee-oh-boy, does Discreet Charm have surrealness! One of the funniest things about the movie is that shocking things keep happening (somebody gets shot), then someone wakes up as if they were only dreaming. What gets really bizarre is that people keep waking up on top of each other, and then recalling that they dreamt that someone else was only dreaming. Pretty soon you're not sure what's a dream and what's reality anymore. It doesn't really matter, though; the whole movie's just messed up anyway (in a good way). The basic plot in Discreet Charm is that no matter how hard they try, a group of people just cannot sit down and have a good meal. They try to go to a restaurant, but it turns out the owner's dead in the next room. They sit down to eat once, but the food is fake and it turns out they're on a stage in front of a live audience (one of the men at the table panics, saying to himself, "I can't remember my lines!"). One of my favorites is when three of the ladies are about to eat at a cafe, when out of nowhere and for no reason a soldier comes up to the ladies and asks if he can tell them a story. He tells this really awful, creepy revenge story about his dying mother's corpse and how she persuaded him to kill his father (we see all this in flashback). After the story, the soldier thanks the ladies and simply excuses himself, but he's done his purpose; it's pretty hard to eat after hearing a gross tale like that! Later in the movie, he's asked to tell another dream he had which makes absolutely no sense but is fascinating anyway. The film ends with a scene that's been shown throughout the movie in various times: the group of people are walking down a long highway in the middle of nowhere, looking content but yet kinda confused. There's some really deep social commentary in here, I know it. Something about society's goofiness and manners; they think they're good people. but all these guys really care about is getting something to eat. They look so lost and puzzled, but don't seem to care as they go walking. "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeiouse" is an amazing movie. I give it my highest rating. Go see it with some deep, artsy friends and then drive home talking about deep stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious Bunuelfest
Review: One of the greatest satirist in the world of cinema, Luis Bunuel, has come up with a great masterpiece that combines a profound social statement with surreal artistry and devastating humor. Whenever a group of friends attempt to dine together, they get sidetracked by the most bizarre reasons. A dumbfounding comedy with excellent ensemble acting only Bunuel could create. The surreal images (at one point one would ask, which one is surreal and not?) are an absolute marvel. I'm so happy to hear that this film is coming up in a digitally remasterred VHS and DVD. The latest VHS copy produced several years ago did not do justice to this sparkling gem of film. The DVD produced by Criterion with 2 discs should have tons of extras. Can't wait to have it!
Rating:
Summary: Great film and wonderful documentary on Bunel!
Review: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, one of Bunel's most popular films, is a great one! I love the acting, the satirical elements, and playfulness of the film. Favorite scene: when the army men come in to have dinner and the conversation about war and marijuana that follows . A funny scene! One of the top 100 films of all time! This Criterion Collection 2-disc set also includes an informative documentary on Bunel. It's very enlightning! The whole DVD set is a great buy!
Rating:
Summary: Surreal dreams running into an absurd reality
Review: The title is certainly intriguing, suggesting something ultra sophisticated, and we can guess that "discreet" will be exposed as "hypocritical," and the charm will be superficial. In this we are not disappointed. I should also say this reminds me of the theater of the absurd that had its heyday in the postwar period in Europe and the US with Rhinoceros, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Waiting For Godot, The Birthday Party, etc., and then more or less disappeared, Roberto Benigni's recent cinematic venture, La Vita e Bella (1997) notwithstanding. Most critics however would refer to this work as an example of surrealism, an aesthetic movement in art, theater, cinema, etc. that grew out of Dadaism in the twenties. But the theater of the absurd is later, taking its rationale from the existential work of Camus--see especially his collection of essays, The Myth of Sisyphus (1942)--and Sartre, while getting its name from a book entitled, The Theatre of the Absurd (1960) by Martin Esslin. Regardless of how we tag this, Spanish/French director Luis Buñuel's treatment is indeed charming and funny. Fernando Rey stars as a diplomat from the country of "Miranda" who, along with his five constant friends, cannot seem to ever finish a meal. They are the bourgeoisie who are discreet in their sexual activities and their illegalities (Rey's character apparently smuggles cocaine) while maintaining a sort of absurd decorum in which good manners are paramount. A café runs out of tea, well, they will content themselves with coffee. No coffee, well, water will be fine. Guests arrive a day ahead of time, well, we'll go out instead, won't you join us. When a company of soldiers on maneuvers shows up at the house just as they are sitting down to dinner, they are invited to join them, and when the police come to arrest Rey, they all politely intercede only to follow him to jail. When the one finds that his wife is in his friend's bedroom, he is too polite to object. Buñuel's technique runs realistic scenes into dream sequences without warning. When a soldier sits down to tea to tell his story of horror, all listen politely. When, for the umpteenth time they are à la table, a curtain parts and they find themselves on stage in front of an audience, they discreetly excuse themselves, saying they have forgotten their lines. Of course Buñuel must have his little satire of the church, and here he uses a monseigneur who becomes a gardener who hears a last rites confession that reveals that the confessor murdered his, the monseigneur's, parents many years ago. The monseigneur politely and without being ruffled, allows that Jesus forgives him and leaves him in a state of grace, which soothes his conscience as he then picks up a shotgun.... So seamlessly does Buñuel weave his tapestry, that it's sometimes hard to tell when reality ends and the dreams begin, but that is perhaps the point. Our dreams are absurd of course, but then again so is our reality.
Rating:
Summary: This is one of teh best films ever made
Review: There are already several detailed reviews of this movie here. So I will only say that this is a true masterpiece of the special eternal Bunuel enigma. You will find everything that's best of later Bunuel's works here - sarcasm, absurdity, refine taste and of course, always a miriad of questions unanswered - everyone would have to try to find their own answer for all the puzzles. And this is what makes Bunuel so unique in a great sense. Not for Hollywood lovers, though - give it a miss if you enjoy mass production.
Rating: 
Summary: empty and not funny
Review: This "comedy" is boring, stale, and not funny. Its emphasis on "surrealism" and absurdity is a sign that the director had to concoct his film in a way to persuade everyone that he actually had someting to say. While watching how the rich folks could never get down to a serious dinner, I got hungry (and angry) myself. Don't waste your time.
Rating:
Summary: ONE OF BUNUEL'S FINEST
Review: This is one of Spanish director Luis Bunuel's finest, most subtle surrealist comedies. At least his films are often classed as comedies -- they're more an assault on our senses and conventions. The 'plot' (if one can call it that) unwinds slowly -- the fulcrum being the absurd situation of a group of socialite friends who are attempting to ....... no, better see for yourself than have me disclose it. It's enough to say that if you enjoy the Marx Brothers, or Pedro Almodovar, you'll adore Luis Bunuel. He has the comedy of the former and the anarchy of the latter, but his dagger is always that little bit sharper and more deadly. The promised Criterion issue is on two discs for a running time of almost three hours; the usual cinema version is less than two hours, so there must be some great supplements coming our way. Let's hope for more Bunuel on DVD -- next up should be his classic silent film 'Un Chien Andalou', in the 'sonorised' version prepared in the 1950s, when Bunuel himself added a soundtrack of the music he always envisaged as part of the film, ranging from Argentinian tangoes to the 'Love-Death' from 'Tristan and Isolde'.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent surrealism on film
Review: This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, under its original title "Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie" remains one of the most famous surrealist films. Directed by Luis Buñuel, the md credited with creating surrealsim on film does an excellent job in this film. The story is about six high class people trying to have a meal together, each time they do so, they are interrupted one way or another. Each interruption becomes increasingly more unusual and humorous. The film has excellent acting and humor with great scenery of the French countryside. This film also won an Academy Award® for best Foreign language film. It is wel deserving of the award though the competition that year was not very difficult. It was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay and lost to "The Candidate" The Criterion DVD has some great special features also. There is a theatrical trailer and two seperate biographies on Luis Buñuel. Disc 1 contains the film, the theatrical trailer, and a poorly pre-subtitled biography on Buñuel. This documentary is titled, "El náufrago de la calle de Providencia" or "The castaway on Providence Street" which originally aired on television in 1970 in Mexico It is 24 minutes in length. Disc two contains an all new documentary "A propósito de Buñuel" or "Speaking of Buñuel". This documentary is 98 minutes long and is a retrospective on Buñuel's life intercut with footage of his movies and interviews with family and friends Buñuel. The subtitles on this documentary are a lot better. This documentary contains scenes that may not be suitable for children and young teens.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent surrealism on film
Review: This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, under its original title "Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie" remains one of the most famous surrealist films. Directed by Luis Buñuel, the md credited with creating surrealsim on film does an excellent job in this film. The story is about six high class people trying to have a meal together, each time they do so, they are interrupted one way or another. Each interruption becomes increasingly more unusual and humorous. The film has excellent acting and humor with great scenery of the French countryside. This film also won an Academy Award® for best Foreign language film. It is wel deserving of the award though the competition that year was not very difficult. It was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay and lost to "The Candidate" The Criterion DVD has some great special features also. There is a theatrical trailer and two seperate biographies on Luis Buñuel. Disc 1 contains the film, the theatrical trailer, and a poorly pre-subtitled biography on Buñuel. This documentary is titled, "El náufrago de la calle de Providencia" or "The castaway on Providence Street" which originally aired on television in 1970 in Mexico It is 24 minutes in length. Disc two contains an all new documentary "A propósito de Buñuel" or "Speaking of Buñuel". This documentary is 98 minutes long and is a retrospective on Buñuel's life intercut with footage of his movies and interviews with family and friends Buñuel. The subtitles on this documentary are a lot better. This documentary contains scenes that may not be suitable for children and young teens.
Rating:
Summary: Bunuel at his best
Review: This was the first Bunuel movie I saw and it stays my favorite. I saw it in the movie theater and by the end 70% of spectators had left. The reason was that they were not prepared for Bunuel (It was in Gorki, Soviet Union, 1986 or 87). I wasn't either but I fell in love with the movie from the very begining. It stupid to try to reveal the plot, because there's none. If you ask me, the plot of this movie is the same as in That Obscure Object of Desire (my second best Bunuel): You can't get what you crave for. For it's not the plot that matters, it's the mood, l'ambiance. And those little things like the story about Brigadier. If you have never seen a Bunuel film, start with this one!
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