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Mistress of Spices
Rainbow Films USA

Mistress of Spices reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: xx Metascore out of 100
User Score  
6.0 out of 10
based on 3 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 9 votes
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MPAA 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.


GENRE(S): Drama  |  Foreign  |  Romance  
WRITTEN BY: Gurinder Chadha
Paul Mayeda Berges
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (novel)
 
DIRECTED BY: Paul Mayeda Berges  
RELEASE DATE: DVD: May 22, 2007 
Theatrical: May 5, 2006 
RUNNING TIME: 92 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: UK 

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...

50
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.
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50
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.
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50
The New York Times Anita Gates
This is a one-dimensional, sometimes illogical film, but it's certainly good-looking.
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What Our Users Said

Vote Now!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.

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