Not quite at the level of Buñuel’s greatest masterpieces, but pretty damn close. Mixing his trademark cruelty and surrealism with a deft comedic touch—similar to that of The Exterminating Angel and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoise—Buñuel creates a frequently intoxicating portrayal of love (lust?) that’s essentially an allegory for the forbidden fruit. Only Buñuel can make coldness burn with intoxicating sensuality, and he does so here with ingenious casting—utilizing two superb actresses as the female protagonist (Ángela Molina and Carole Bouquet) to better capture Conchita’s fickle, manipulative nature—and a biting screenplay: the numerous laugh-out-loud moments silkily soften the emotional anguish and suffering that Conchita puts Mathieu (a magnificent Fernando Rey) through. Conchita uses her pouty lips and delectable sex appeal to toy with Mathieu—an extremely wealthy, much older businessman who’s entranced by this young firecracker—and an aura of naughty sexuality emerges from their cat-and-mouse game, creating a hot atmosphere that Buñuel douses with buckets of water at the film’s beginning and end. Hysterical, poignant, and spicy; a must-see.
82/100
