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The Mistress of Spices

The Mistress of Spices (2005)

September. 11,2005
|
5.5
| Fantasy Drama Romance

Tilo is an Indian shopkeeper in America with an ability to see the future and a magical connection to powerful spices, which she uses to help her customers satisfy their various needs and desires. One day she falls in love with an American man. But the spices forbid it.

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Reviews

Micitype
2005/09/11

Pretty Good

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Exoticalot
2005/09/12

People are voting emotionally.

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Spidersecu
2005/09/13

Don't Believe the Hype

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Ceticultsot
2005/09/14

Beautiful, moving film.

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Je re
2005/09/15

Was Dylan McDermott just the biggest 'name' actor they could afford? Young beautiful Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: according to her bio on IMDb "Crowned Miss India 1994 runner-up, she was a hot favorite in the run for miss world title". Its easy to see what McDermott's character sees in her. She is paired with old (12 years older) bearded, not that attractive at all, biker McDermott. He's about as suitable for her as a street tramp. It doesn't work. Even in terms of the plot - he does nothing that could possibly make her fall in love with him. He isn't even polite and respectful - he just sticks his grubby paw in some of her spices for example.This is billed on the DVD as a romantic comedy. There is no comedy in this film... unless... and I don't like being this cruel... but the movie deserves it... unless you include laughing at it. The point where I did that was where she cuts her finger and she goes into the back. And he follows her (creepy), and saves her by telling her to put it under the tap. This is the Mistress of Spice who's got these amazing magical powers and can rustle up cures for everything and she's at the sink already... and he has to follow her to give her this amazing first aid tip everyone in the world knows about washing a cut! (Which of course conveniently means they get to be in close proximity for a moment. )It has the cinematography, the colours, the visuals... an interesting underlying plot idea... but its not comedy, and its not a plausible romance either.

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Shaun Hennessy (henfish)
2005/09/16

When the chillies in a spice shop get more on screen attention than the leading man in a romance, you've got yourself big, big problems. Here are just a few: She's not allowed to touch a human... SHE'S RUBBING HER COUSIN'S HAND 5 MINUTES IN! Does every Indian now living in San Francisco have a history blighted by parricide!? When a film relies on over 50% of it's dialogue through the source of spoken thought it is corrupt of imagination.On a more general note: Mistress of the Spices is a poor story poorly told. It's cliché ridden; the dialogue is shocking; the acting is unconvincing and the directing woefully one dimensional. Aishwarya Rai does indeed have stunning eyes - but does the camera really need to give us close-ups of them every 4 minutes!? There is nothing to recommend this febrile nonsense. It is patronising to both the Sub-Continent and the West and, as a metaphor, is as involving as if she'd have ran a DIY store. Actually...If you're a fan of film and want to see how to get everything wrong - watch this. If you think time is too precious, have a curry instead - it's infinitely more authentic and satisfying.

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kingdio
2005/09/17

This is such a boring movie. Rai is basically imprisoned in the spice shop talking to spices in her head. All the exposition is either confusing flashbacks, or endless narrative from Rai. Must be extremely cheap to make a movie when all you have is one actor on one set endlessly narrating the story in her head. The most annoying part is probably some drummy Indian beat that plays endlessly every time McDermontt's character is around in combination with a close up chili peppers. It's the spices talking to Rai's character warning her he's trouble. Apparently the spices are some form of deities that control the fate of Rai's character. If she breaks the rules things happen. Horrible, horrible movie that only gets worse if you make it to the ending.

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covduo2
2005/09/18

Maybe I don't know enough about how spices are revered in Indian culture, I felt it did not make me that interested in the spice thing - except that I love Indian cooking! However, after watching Chocolat, I wanted to know a lot more about the Mayan heritage of chocolate and about the folklore behind the 'magic' - the film just inspired that romantic imagery and magic feeling about both Vianne and the chocolate.This film did not inspire very much and I think, considering the premise, could have done a lot more! I don't think Dylan McDermott was the right guy because it was never convincing that she was THAT interested in him to break any rules. I wouldn't have broken any rules for him! :) He just wasn't very charming and the part about his so-called Native American history was almost gratuitous and very unconvincing.Uninspiring and unconvincing...that's how I summarise this film. Nice idea though, just got in the wrong hands for carrying it out, I think.

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