Way too pretentious for me
But was something to do on a Sunday morning when you got no housework or you work weekends
shareI feel like that was kind of the point though... It's social commentary on both the industry, and the consumer... Both groups are filled with pretentiousness... Not sure who started, the restaurants or the consumers, but clearly there was a move toward greater fanfare, greater elegance, and of course, "exclusivity," higher cost menus over the last 40-50(or more, I'm not sure) years or so... It came alongside a rise in personal wealth. People started thinking that since they made more money, they deserved a better experience, more expensive food, a better life, etc... Thus, these kinds of places grew out of a higher demand for dining for people who are "too rich and important" to dine with us "commoners..." But they don't forget about us... Which is why they sit there in their fancy restaurant laughing and joking about the poor shmucks who have to slum it at "normal" restaurants... Hoping and praying that they never lose enough wealth to have to "slum it" with us normal people and eat ordinary food served by people with no education, sophistication, etc...
My point is, the movie doesn't embrace the pretentiousness... It emphatically rebukes it.
I don't think they meant that the characters were pretentious (which, as you say, they were obviously meant to be), but the film itself was pretentious in its attempt to deliver the very messages you're speaking about.
It was a movie that felt like it was trying to be smart and witty and, in my opinion, failed at doing so. Nothing about its commentary felt insightful or clever and, as ChipDouglas mentioned, it didn't succeed in being entertaining either. In fact, as far as I could tell, it seemed just as up its own ass as the culture it's saying is up its own ass. It's trying too hard to be a satirical dish that only smart people like or understand, but its ingredients are all off.