The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
Seen it?1972 | 101 min | Comedy, Fantasy
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
Critics loved it (98% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it won an Oscar. Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who wants a laugh and fantasy fans. If you loved The Adventures of Baron Munchausen or Ninotchka, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Provocative satire that goes after everyone.
- The pace
- Breezy, at 1 hr 41 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG: scary moments. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
- It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Made in 1972: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
An upper-class sextet sits down to dinner but never eats, their attempts continually thwarted by a vaudevillian mixture of events both actual and imagined.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
98% on Rotten Tomatoes, 93 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.4 out of 10
- AwardsVery strong
Won 1 Oscar: Academy Awards: Best Foreign Language Film. Won 2 BAFTAs: BAFTA Awards: Best Actress, BAFTA Awards: Best Original Screenplay. Also nominated for 1 more Oscar, 2 Golden Globes and 3 more BAFTAs. Plus 4 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$103K worldwide on a $800K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 80K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Ninotchka Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed satirical comedy that fewer people know today.
Beetlejuice Saturday SpecialAnother fantasy film, and a Saturday Special.
Miss Congeniality
Weeknight WatchAnother counter-terrorism comedy, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
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Cast & crew
Directed by Luis Buñuel
- Fernando ReyDon Rafael
- Delphine SeyrigSimone Thévenot
- Paul FrankeurFrançois Thévenot
- Stéphane AudranAlice Sénéchal
- Bulle OgierFlorence
- Jean-Pierre CasselHenri Sénéchal
- Julien BertheauMonsignor Dufour
- Claude PiépluColonel
- Michel PiccoliInterior Minister
- François MaistreInspector Delecluze