Mistress of Spices

EMAIL PRINTRainbow Films USA

6.0 User Score:

No score yet

Based on 3 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 9 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >

Movie Info

Genre(s): Drama | Foreign | Romance

Written by: Gurinder Chadha
Paul Mayeda Berges
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (novel)

Directed by: Paul Mayeda Berges

Release Date:
Theatrical: May 5, 2006
DVD: May 22, 2007

Running Time: 92 minutes, Color

Origin: UK

Summary

RATING: Not Rated

Starring Aishwarya Rai, Dylan McDermott, Ayesha Dharker, Nitin Chandra Ganatra, Sonny Gill Dulay, Anupam Kher, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Toby Marlow

Based on the novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, the movie follows Tilo (Rai), a member of an old, mystical cult that worships spice in all its forms. She is sent to Oakland to open a shop and help people using the mysterious powers of the spices. However, when she is drawn to a man (McDermott) who enters her life, she begins to question her devotion to the cause.

Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Toronto Film Festival Profile

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen

Shades of "Like Water for Chocolate" and "Chocolat" -- but unlike the latter's tender Juliette Binoche-Johnny Depp romance, the ordained Rai-McDermott union fails to generate any convincing heat, and no amount of cardamom pods or lotus root is going to help.

Read Full Review >

Variety Derek Elley

Beautiful but lifeless, poetic but unelevated, The Mistress of Spices reps a brave but flawed attempt at that most unforgiving of contemporary genres, magical realism.

Read Full Review >

The New York Times Anita Gates

This is a one-dimensional, sometimes illogical film, but it's certainly good-looking.

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 6.0 (out of 10) based on 9 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Sharukh K. gave it a0:
This is a stupid boring movie. Who ever is this Gurinder Chada's husband is a knuckle head. The movie is listed as a comedy, whereas A. Rai puts up a constipated look all through the movie. It's a disaster piece of shit.

Hina A. gave it a0:
Useless, worthless movie. An insult to film and actors.

Andrew B gave it a10:
My wife and I loved this movie. Aishwarya Rai is a beauty beyond measure, and captures the mystery and romance of this well directed film.

Marcus N. gave it a1:
The only reason I give this piece of rubbish one point is that it finally ended. A mystery how it can be listed as "a comedy that indulges your senses" on the DVD cover. There is no humor in the film and no senses were indulged. In fact, the movie appears to be a 95 minute photo-shoot of Aishwarya Rai, an actress capable and deserving of far more than this waste of time.

Pat E. gave it an8:
This film was an ok film. I don't know about it being all that romantic. I do like it's emotion, and it's suggestive content versus it being explicit, not like we don't know what happens in adult situations. Good movie, not excellent.

Aaron L. gave it a10:
Stop comparing it to Chocolat! The novel "Mistress of Spcies" was written 3 years before Chocolat even came out. I would say Chocolat copied Mistress of Spices. Aishwarya Rai is etheral and so emotive. The cinematography is amazing, a feast for the senses. An extremely magical film.