That Obscure Object of Desire (1977)
Directed by Luis Buñuel

Here’s a film about a man who refuses to live consciously, who cannot engage critically with the world around him, and can seemingly only attract those as vile as him. It’s not about me. Middle-aged Mathieu (Fernando Rey) is first observed preparing to leave for Paris, abandoning his affluent estate, and boarding a train car. A battered young woman is seen chasing after the train. Quickly, Mathieu pays an usher to provide him with a pail of water, which he subsequently douses over the head of the young woman as the train departs the station. The commuters in Mathieu’s train car observe the incident and what follows is Mathieu’s very jaded recollection of events.

Her name is Conchita (played by both Carole Bouquet and Ángela Molina). Why is the same character played by two actresses? It’s the unclear crux to That Obscure Object of Desire, though what it seemingly suggests is both Conchita’s elusiveness and Mathieu refusal to afford her any measure of agency, where one body replaces the other from scene to scene – it’s what this ingénue symbolizes what’s important to Mathieu. She’s playful and young, whereas he’s frail and old, and all the money he possesses ultimately can’t win her. And Conchita’s well aware of the power she wields over Mathieu, with the two toxically lauding their advantages over the other, hoping for either one to break. If something like Promising Young Woman wasn’t more populist i.e. basic choice, I’d wager that this is Taylor Swift’s favorite film.