57 reviews
In India, Tilo (Aishwarya Rai) has the ability of foreseeing the future. When their parents are killed by bandits, she is kidnapped but escapes and is raised by the First Mother (Zohra Segal) in a sort of traditional cult of spices. She becomes the Mistress of Spices and is sent to the Spice Bazaar in San Francisco, with the mission of following three basic rules: help her clients to accomplish their desires with the spices, but never hers; never leave the store; and never be touched in the skin. When she meets the handsome American architect Doug (Dylan McDermott), she feels a great attraction and desire for him, breaking the first rule and being punished by the spices.
"The Mistress of Spices" is a predictable but pleasant film that uses the idea of movies like "Chocolate", "Woman on Top", "Como Agua Para Chocolate" blending romance with food or spice or chocolate or cookies. Therefore, the flawed story has no originality and is quite boring and messy in many moments. However, the cinematography is wonderful, with magnificent colors highlighted on DVD. Further, the gorgeous Miss World 1994 and Queen of Bollywood Aishwarya Rai makes this little film worth with her beauty and participating in most of the scenes. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "O Sabor da Magia" ("The Flavor of Magic")
"The Mistress of Spices" is a predictable but pleasant film that uses the idea of movies like "Chocolate", "Woman on Top", "Como Agua Para Chocolate" blending romance with food or spice or chocolate or cookies. Therefore, the flawed story has no originality and is quite boring and messy in many moments. However, the cinematography is wonderful, with magnificent colors highlighted on DVD. Further, the gorgeous Miss World 1994 and Queen of Bollywood Aishwarya Rai makes this little film worth with her beauty and participating in most of the scenes. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "O Sabor da Magia" ("The Flavor of Magic")
- claudio_carvalho
- Nov 10, 2007
- Permalink
A die-hard fan of Aishwarya, I must start out by saying that Aishwarya looks absolutely drop-dead gorgeous in the red sari. This is one of her most beautiful looks on screen ever. Mistress of Spices dishes up an interesting fare that deals with Aishwarya, a woman with an extraordinary gift that allows her to envision the problems others are going through and the ability to mix the right spices that will solve their problems. She does this by means of a Spice Bazaar store in San Francisco where customers seek her for help. It is quite interesting to see how she helps her diverse clientèle and loyal customers through the use of spices (which by the way seems very possible, as Indian herbal medicine argues that different spices have different chemicals that control our mind and body). However, being a "mistress of spices," Aishwarya is bound by certain rules, which she begins to find suppressing and enslaving once she begins to fall in love. What is interesting about this movie is that there is not much of a plot and mainly just a small store for sets. This film looks at the art of using spices to improve lives and delves into Aishwarya's internal conflict between love and duty, making this a very interesting and reinvigorating movie.
- sarahjane-h-j
- Dec 16, 2006
- Permalink
It's difficult for any one who has a good appreciation for culinary art not to be attracted to this spicy shop, spacious, tastefully appointed, with thousands of colourful spices displayed in so many different interesting fashions. A sheer joy for the eyes.
So is Aishwaryi Rai, Miss World of 1994, who graces the screen with wide-eyed innocence through most of the movie and appears in the last scene radiating with alluring glamour in a bright red evening gown, with her hair finally let down, falling like graceful ripples to her shoulder.
Even accepting the premise of a fairy tale, it's hard to believe how Tilo (Rai) can run her spice shop all by herself without EVER leaving it, the first of three conditions for having her power bestowed by "the spices". The second is easier to abide by if one is careful, not to touch the skin of any human being. The third is not to use the power to benefit herself. This "power" is a vague ability to see other people's past and sometimes future and to use spices to help them.
The romance with dashing architect Doug (Dylan McDermott) is appropriately low-key, and hence believable. Subplots include Tilo's various customers, with their assortment of problems, many caused by cultural clashes in southern California.
All told, this is a delightful little fairy tale which is particularly pleasant visually. I can't help but think that it should also come with these new gimmicks, as a movie with smells. This is the perfect movie for it.
So is Aishwaryi Rai, Miss World of 1994, who graces the screen with wide-eyed innocence through most of the movie and appears in the last scene radiating with alluring glamour in a bright red evening gown, with her hair finally let down, falling like graceful ripples to her shoulder.
Even accepting the premise of a fairy tale, it's hard to believe how Tilo (Rai) can run her spice shop all by herself without EVER leaving it, the first of three conditions for having her power bestowed by "the spices". The second is easier to abide by if one is careful, not to touch the skin of any human being. The third is not to use the power to benefit herself. This "power" is a vague ability to see other people's past and sometimes future and to use spices to help them.
The romance with dashing architect Doug (Dylan McDermott) is appropriately low-key, and hence believable. Subplots include Tilo's various customers, with their assortment of problems, many caused by cultural clashes in southern California.
All told, this is a delightful little fairy tale which is particularly pleasant visually. I can't help but think that it should also come with these new gimmicks, as a movie with smells. This is the perfect movie for it.
- harry_tk_yung
- Jul 1, 2006
- Permalink
I don't know what to say about this film. I went into it with zero expectations, apart from Aishwarya Rai to look stunning. So I was sort of pleasantly surprised. Make no mistake though, it is a poor film.
Ill keep it short because there isn't really much to say.
Story: Tilo (Aishwarya) is part of some ancient mystical cult which uses the power of spices to heal people, around the world. So she sets up shop in Oakland. She also has to relinquish any sort of personal desires, and can never leave the shop. Then she meets Doug (Dylan McDermott) and so the normal culture clash thing which pops up in every single one of Gurinder Chadha's films ensues. Blah blah blah...the end There are numerous flaws, but Ill start with the positives The Good - Aishwarya looked great. And she had a consistent accent. Performance was relatively good, given the other flaws inherent in this film - Santosh Sivan did a great job with cinematography. San Francisco looked fantastic Errm I think thats about it The Bad - The script was weak. there was no character development and it was padded out too much with contrived and unnecessary subplots. Anupam Kher was so badly wasted. I mean I think that some subplot was needed to show the way the spices work (or however you want to word it), but they really detracted form the main story, which itself wasn't up to much in the first place.
4/10
Ill keep it short because there isn't really much to say.
Story: Tilo (Aishwarya) is part of some ancient mystical cult which uses the power of spices to heal people, around the world. So she sets up shop in Oakland. She also has to relinquish any sort of personal desires, and can never leave the shop. Then she meets Doug (Dylan McDermott) and so the normal culture clash thing which pops up in every single one of Gurinder Chadha's films ensues. Blah blah blah...the end There are numerous flaws, but Ill start with the positives The Good - Aishwarya looked great. And she had a consistent accent. Performance was relatively good, given the other flaws inherent in this film - Santosh Sivan did a great job with cinematography. San Francisco looked fantastic Errm I think thats about it The Bad - The script was weak. there was no character development and it was padded out too much with contrived and unnecessary subplots. Anupam Kher was so badly wasted. I mean I think that some subplot was needed to show the way the spices work (or however you want to word it), but they really detracted form the main story, which itself wasn't up to much in the first place.
- I think the very basic concept of the film was handled poorly. the makers never seemed to know themselves whether they were making a realistic film or some sort of magical/mystical fantasy. And resultantly there was no sort of ambiance, build-up or anything to keep someone interested to the end of it.
- Absolutely no chemistry at all between Aishwarya and Dylan McDermott - On the same point, the performances were average at best. I think the fault does lie in the script and the direction as no one had any real scope for performance and they were all just basically required to look good for the camera.
- Unnecessary voice-overs, really got to me As I said, if you go in with no expectations at all, you could well enjoy it, but its still a poorly made film.
4/10
I saw this film at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival.
Mistress of Spices is based on the novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, and is the directorial debut for Paul Mayeda Berges. Berges has worked previously with his wife, Gurinder Chadha, on a number of films including Bend it Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice. Chadha co-wrote the screenplay here with her husband.
The movie follows Tilo, played by Aishwarya Rai, who is 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. Tilo, who also has the power to see visions of the future, soon ends up helping a whole coterie of characters: a man (Anupam Kher) who is distressed over his granddaughter (Padma Lakshmi), a woman who has grown up in America and adopted western ways, much to his dismay; Jagjit (Sonny Gill Dulay), a teenager who is having trouble with the kids at school; Haroun (Nitin Chandra Ganatra), a cab driver that has a cloudy future; Kwesi (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), a man trying to win the heart of a woman.
But to be successful, Tilo must follow three rules: one, she must never leave the store; two, she must never touch the skin of another person; three, she can never use the spices for her own gain. One day a man (Dylan McDermott) falls off his motorcycle outside her store and they are both instantly drawn to one another, challenging Tilo's devotion to her cause and threatening her control over the spices.
This is a nice, light film, reminiscent in many ways of Chocolat, with Aishwarya Rai in the Juliette Binoche role. Rai is luminous on screen, and the chemistry between her and Dylan McDermott is good. I didn't think the voice-over narration of Rai's character's inner thoughts was entirely successful, although I can't see how else you could really do it; funny enough, the voice-overs reminded me of another spice-related movie, David Lynch's Dune. The movie explores a bit of the mixing between east and west and the conflict between old and new, but not quite as successfully as some of Berges' and Chadha's other films, but that is probably due more to the limitations of creating an adaptation.
Mistress of Spices is based on the novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, and is the directorial debut for Paul Mayeda Berges. Berges has worked previously with his wife, Gurinder Chadha, on a number of films including Bend it Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice. Chadha co-wrote the screenplay here with her husband.
The movie follows Tilo, played by Aishwarya Rai, who is 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. Tilo, who also has the power to see visions of the future, soon ends up helping a whole coterie of characters: a man (Anupam Kher) who is distressed over his granddaughter (Padma Lakshmi), a woman who has grown up in America and adopted western ways, much to his dismay; Jagjit (Sonny Gill Dulay), a teenager who is having trouble with the kids at school; Haroun (Nitin Chandra Ganatra), a cab driver that has a cloudy future; Kwesi (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), a man trying to win the heart of a woman.
But to be successful, Tilo must follow three rules: one, she must never leave the store; two, she must never touch the skin of another person; three, she can never use the spices for her own gain. One day a man (Dylan McDermott) falls off his motorcycle outside her store and they are both instantly drawn to one another, challenging Tilo's devotion to her cause and threatening her control over the spices.
This is a nice, light film, reminiscent in many ways of Chocolat, with Aishwarya Rai in the Juliette Binoche role. Rai is luminous on screen, and the chemistry between her and Dylan McDermott is good. I didn't think the voice-over narration of Rai's character's inner thoughts was entirely successful, although I can't see how else you could really do it; funny enough, the voice-overs reminded me of another spice-related movie, David Lynch's Dune. The movie explores a bit of the mixing between east and west and the conflict between old and new, but not quite as successfully as some of Berges' and Chadha's other films, but that is probably due more to the limitations of creating an adaptation.
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.
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.
THE MISTRESS OF SPICES has some of the most beautiful use of color and texture in the form a magical Spice Bazaar that has graced a DVD. It also has as its protagonist the very beautiful Aishwarya Rai and the love interest of the always-reliable Dylan McDermott. The story was created and directed by Paul Mayeda Berges (with help from Gurinder Chada) who has given us such fine films as "Paris, je t'aime', 'Bride & Prejudice' and 'Bend It Like Beckham'. So the question arises as to why this film just doesn't quite make it: the reason may be the tough marriage of fantasy with reality, assigning more importance to dialog between the Mistress and the spices than to the development of storyline.
Tilo (the ravishingly beautiful Aishwarya Rai) was taken in as a child by a spiritually inclined First Mother (Zohra Sehgal) who trains young girls the mysteries of spices - their magic, their meaning and their rigid life style imposed on the developing Mistresses. Those who gain the secrets of the spices are sent into the world, warned never to use the magic for them selves, never to touch human skin, and never to leave the shops where their spices are shared to help mankind. Tilo moves to the Bay Area and does good deeds for her customers until she meets Doug (Dylan McDermott) who needs her care after a motorcycle accident. They touch, their eyes speak of mutual desire and Tilo is thrown into conflict of being a mistress of spices or of having a love life. How situations and destiny work through the story is the meager line of the tale, the majority of the script is Tilo communicating with her spices!
The cast contains some fine character actors such as Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Caroline Chikezie, Anupam Kher, and of course Zohra Sehgal. And there is enough statement about immigrant status in America to keep the story topical. THE MISTRESS OF SPICES entertains and that is a pleasure. Just don't expect a film on the level of director Paul Mayeda Berges' other works. Grady Harp
Tilo (the ravishingly beautiful Aishwarya Rai) was taken in as a child by a spiritually inclined First Mother (Zohra Sehgal) who trains young girls the mysteries of spices - their magic, their meaning and their rigid life style imposed on the developing Mistresses. Those who gain the secrets of the spices are sent into the world, warned never to use the magic for them selves, never to touch human skin, and never to leave the shops where their spices are shared to help mankind. Tilo moves to the Bay Area and does good deeds for her customers until she meets Doug (Dylan McDermott) who needs her care after a motorcycle accident. They touch, their eyes speak of mutual desire and Tilo is thrown into conflict of being a mistress of spices or of having a love life. How situations and destiny work through the story is the meager line of the tale, the majority of the script is Tilo communicating with her spices!
The cast contains some fine character actors such as Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Caroline Chikezie, Anupam Kher, and of course Zohra Sehgal. And there is enough statement about immigrant status in America to keep the story topical. THE MISTRESS OF SPICES entertains and that is a pleasure. Just don't expect a film on the level of director Paul Mayeda Berges' other works. Grady Harp
There isn't very much to be said about this film, so I will keep it short. The script is simply laughable. People will say: "you have to understand the magic of it...". They're wrong. There's no magic. Only excruciatingly poor story and character development. To top that off numerous smaller characters are introduced to the story without actually contributing anything to it, and the chemistry between the two leading roles is just non-existent.
For those of you thinking: "I hear you buddy, but I think I'll take my girl/boyfriend to it. They love those romantic love stories." To you I say this: I watched this movie with my girl and another couple. We all left the cinema with bruises on our foreheads from smacking them with despair throughout the movie.
This movie is a waste of your time. The only reason I gave it a 2 and not less is that Aishwarya Rai looks stunning. That's it.
For those of you thinking: "I hear you buddy, but I think I'll take my girl/boyfriend to it. They love those romantic love stories." To you I say this: I watched this movie with my girl and another couple. We all left the cinema with bruises on our foreheads from smacking them with despair throughout the movie.
This movie is a waste of your time. The only reason I gave it a 2 and not less is that Aishwarya Rai looks stunning. That's it.
I went to this film because it was advertised as being in the "Bend It Like Beckham" vein, which was not only a misleading come-on, but in the end also a film as ineffective as the real Beckham in the recent World Cup. Right from the beginning the viewer has to wonder about the motivation. Why on earth does Tilo go to San Francisco and why is she designated the Mistress of Spices? Yes, of course, there is small reference to the upheavals and uprisings in India and going to San Francisco could have been for reasons of escape. However, this is not made at all clear and the next time we see Tilo she is in her spice shop greeting a number of stereotyped types with trivial, boring dialogue. It doesn't stand very well on its own but when compared to other culturally-centric films such as "Like Water for Chocolate," "East is East," it brings up the bottom of the spice barrel. You'd be better off going to a good Indian restaurant rather than wasting your time and money on this film.
I had almost decided not to watch this movie, what with all the people word-bashing its senselessness. But go I did... fortunately.
Yes, it's not great cinema... of great courage, making you cry... making you angry. But it is good cinema... and a faithful representation of the book. The book is a fairy-tale, simple to the core, and so is the movie.
And who says Aish cannot act? Just look at the finer nuances of her eyes and eyebrows when she is required to emote, and you will realize that this girl knows what it takes to enact a character which has already been "written about" in a book. Yes, she underplays the role... but that is what her character is, right? A woman who is poised, but sometimes the deepest feelings find their vent. I am surely impressed by Aish's restrained expression of feelings... and people who mistake this for an incapacity to act, God give them the subtleties of discernment.
Go watch this movie... not to come out exhilarated or flustered... but to enjoy a good fairy tale, for that's what it is.
Yes, it's not great cinema... of great courage, making you cry... making you angry. But it is good cinema... and a faithful representation of the book. The book is a fairy-tale, simple to the core, and so is the movie.
And who says Aish cannot act? Just look at the finer nuances of her eyes and eyebrows when she is required to emote, and you will realize that this girl knows what it takes to enact a character which has already been "written about" in a book. Yes, she underplays the role... but that is what her character is, right? A woman who is poised, but sometimes the deepest feelings find their vent. I am surely impressed by Aish's restrained expression of feelings... and people who mistake this for an incapacity to act, God give them the subtleties of discernment.
Go watch this movie... not to come out exhilarated or flustered... but to enjoy a good fairy tale, for that's what it is.
I went to see this film, and if it wasn't for other people sitting around us, I would have walked out of the cinema half way through. There is no chemistry between the leading actors. There is very poor character development. Lots of bits of information is thrown in about various characters without linking it to the story. Ashwarya Rai's voice over after a while becomes boring. Lots of other minor characters are added, I think just to fill up the blank pages of the script. The spices are only an excuse to give a movie its title. I am sure some of spice add makers could have done more justice to the spices. The music in places is pathetic. Anupam Kher tries hard with his performance, but fails to add any relevance to the story line. This film does not deserve to be associated with Gurvinder Chadda. Is her name being used for promoting her husbands lacking talent?
Mistress of Spices can be watched just once. The story line is downright amateurish. The Mistress of Spices has weird rules. Aishwarya Rai looks pretty, but has no role to play. She just stands and twinkles her eyes, coy and shy, reserved, steeped in age old tradition and modesty, wrapped in Indian sarees.
Doug (McDermott) acts much better, has more expression to his face, delivers his lines well.
The customers to her shop add color, contrast and variety. But they have no serious roles. They all look lost and scattered, like little kids who have memorized their lines and come to get a pound of garlic or some crushed almond powder.
It is like when you know which spices provide what relief, I would not visit that store again. Would you? Garlic - an aphrodisiac, okay. Lotus Root - for love eternal, and so on.
The lines in the script are so artificial and do not hold up. They are so weak. The narration by Aishywarya Rai just does not cut it. It is so poorly delivered without any inflections to tone of voice and plain.
In the middle of the story, the plot deviates to some Indian hut (for no reason) and comes back. The story did not do the movie justice and the script poorly written.
The actors looked lost except Doug (McDermott). The Mistress of Spices if forever locked up in her store. Hmm! A Cinderella Motif without relief.
Jacob David.
Doug (McDermott) acts much better, has more expression to his face, delivers his lines well.
The customers to her shop add color, contrast and variety. But they have no serious roles. They all look lost and scattered, like little kids who have memorized their lines and come to get a pound of garlic or some crushed almond powder.
It is like when you know which spices provide what relief, I would not visit that store again. Would you? Garlic - an aphrodisiac, okay. Lotus Root - for love eternal, and so on.
The lines in the script are so artificial and do not hold up. They are so weak. The narration by Aishywarya Rai just does not cut it. It is so poorly delivered without any inflections to tone of voice and plain.
In the middle of the story, the plot deviates to some Indian hut (for no reason) and comes back. The story did not do the movie justice and the script poorly written.
The actors looked lost except Doug (McDermott). The Mistress of Spices if forever locked up in her store. Hmm! A Cinderella Motif without relief.
Jacob David.
- Jacob_David
- Oct 25, 2006
- Permalink
The number one appeal that this film had for me, is to see Aishwarya Rai in action. I've never seen the movies of Miss World '94, and missed out on Bride and Prejudice. Written by the same team, Mistress of Spices is a mythical tale which makes the Indian spices the star of the movie, set in a medicinal store, with Rai as the conjurer and mixer of modern day "bomoh" like medicine to cure mankind of their ills.
Some might not like the way the movie presented itself, with its cheesy focus and voice-over on the qualities of the various spices. Granted, it's like going to your medicinal hall, or clinic, and doing a closeup feature on the medicines and roots, characterizing them. And with the obvious red chili being the signal of danger, it's a tad simplistic. However, the way that the spices are shot, made them look beautiful in their sacks or glass bottles.
Hidden behind these herbs is the mistress Tilo (Rai, meaning sesame seed), whose precognitive powers are granted to her by the spices. OK, so I had a corny joke running each time Tilo asked the spices to speak to her - isn't she doing a Muad'Dib thingy like Dune's Paul Atreides? Anyway besides the mistress helping her customers with their daily troubles by selling them wonderfully nice sounding concoctions, in comes Dylan McDermott's Doug. Better known for his leading role in the television series The Practice, he's the man unknowingly seducing Tilo from her mission in life. You see, being a mistress has its rules, and they are to never let another skin touch yours (ooh, touchy), to never step out of the shop (that's pretty restrictive and a possible loop hole) and not to concoct anything for one's own benefit.
So while trying her best to stay away from the good looking man, the movie spins into a tale of forbidden love, with punishment meted out by the powers that be dwelling within those spices - I tell you, they're quite vengeful. And as if it couldn't decide, there's an underlying reminder for Indians based overseas about never forgetting their roots and culture, to never fall for the enticing decadent lifestyle of the foreigners.
But screw all that, the real star of the show is Rai. I'm already smitten by her huge twin green-blue expressive eyes with lives of their own. You could just focus on them, and they could tell you a story already. And yes, that chili-red sari, is uber hot!
Guess my to-watch movies is piling up already, with Bollywood added to the list. Rai fans probably won't want to miss this, despite the movie's relatively weak and fluffy plot.
Some might not like the way the movie presented itself, with its cheesy focus and voice-over on the qualities of the various spices. Granted, it's like going to your medicinal hall, or clinic, and doing a closeup feature on the medicines and roots, characterizing them. And with the obvious red chili being the signal of danger, it's a tad simplistic. However, the way that the spices are shot, made them look beautiful in their sacks or glass bottles.
Hidden behind these herbs is the mistress Tilo (Rai, meaning sesame seed), whose precognitive powers are granted to her by the spices. OK, so I had a corny joke running each time Tilo asked the spices to speak to her - isn't she doing a Muad'Dib thingy like Dune's Paul Atreides? Anyway besides the mistress helping her customers with their daily troubles by selling them wonderfully nice sounding concoctions, in comes Dylan McDermott's Doug. Better known for his leading role in the television series The Practice, he's the man unknowingly seducing Tilo from her mission in life. You see, being a mistress has its rules, and they are to never let another skin touch yours (ooh, touchy), to never step out of the shop (that's pretty restrictive and a possible loop hole) and not to concoct anything for one's own benefit.
So while trying her best to stay away from the good looking man, the movie spins into a tale of forbidden love, with punishment meted out by the powers that be dwelling within those spices - I tell you, they're quite vengeful. And as if it couldn't decide, there's an underlying reminder for Indians based overseas about never forgetting their roots and culture, to never fall for the enticing decadent lifestyle of the foreigners.
But screw all that, the real star of the show is Rai. I'm already smitten by her huge twin green-blue expressive eyes with lives of their own. You could just focus on them, and they could tell you a story already. And yes, that chili-red sari, is uber hot!
Guess my to-watch movies is piling up already, with Bollywood added to the list. Rai fans probably won't want to miss this, despite the movie's relatively weak and fluffy plot.
- DICK STEEL
- Jul 8, 2006
- Permalink
- bilal_nuri
- Sep 18, 2006
- Permalink
This is an Amazing Film in that it is about something, almost lost in this Twenty first century. In this throwaway society to be taken back to the World of Craft: In This Case This Beautiful Maiden's Love and almost Worship of Spices the way she empathises with them allows her to act as The Foodie Eqivalence of The Now regarded Noble Profession of Aromatherapist. The True Calling of The Crafts men or Craftswomen whoso immerse themselves in the nuances and resonances of their craft or calling is alas something we so rarely see today. So until We can have A Mistress of Spices in every City Town Village or Neighbourhood. This Film is the closest we can get to The Magical Shangrila of The Mistress of Spices.
- scholswainnisbet
- Aug 19, 2006
- Permalink
I'm kind of surprised to see bitterly negative comments about this movie, but what can you do? Maybe it was just disappointment. I didn't expect much of the movie, but I found it better than what I expected. I haven't been that impressed with debutante directors, and I sort of thought that this director got to do this because of being married to Gurinder Chadha. But Paul Berges outperformed my expectations of debutantes. Some parts of the plot were a strain to believe, but not enough to wreck the experience. I suppose it is really a fantasy so talking spices make as much sense as a lot of what happened in Lord of The Rings. Maybe spices are inhabited by spirits. Maybe that's why they keep you up after eating spicy foods, its all those spirits partying! Anyway, I enjoyed watching Ash with all the people off the street. It is something I've seen very little if at all. I suppose it gives you a hint of how she is when confronted by all these crowds of people who want to know about her but who come from completely different backgrounds. I could imagine it being intimidating. If she ever does a full-blown Hollywood production where she is the only Desi, it could disorient her. I've read where stuntmen who learn the trade in Hollywood and then go for a job in Bollywood run into surprises.
Anyway it was different, and it was fun to watch. And SOME of the camera work was just spectacular I thought! There are frames from this movie I'd like to save.
So I'll call it a 7/10. An entertaining experience.
Anyway it was different, and it was fun to watch. And SOME of the camera work was just spectacular I thought! There are frames from this movie I'd like to save.
So I'll call it a 7/10. An entertaining experience.
- uncle_g1234
- Sep 11, 2006
- Permalink
My friend gave me the vcd of mistress of spice because i was bored.
I would rather be bored. I closed the movie in about 20mins. I was that annoyed.
This is miscast, mis-shot, mis-edit, a miss-miss and probably was a mistake.
The acting is mediocre. Ash's performance, like any of her Hindi movies, was pathetic. I am surprise she gets all this attention. Seriously, beauty can take places.
The story is strange and the way to present it is even stranger.
Not recommended to watch it. Unless you really want to drool over Ash.
I would rather be bored. I closed the movie in about 20mins. I was that annoyed.
This is miscast, mis-shot, mis-edit, a miss-miss and probably was a mistake.
The acting is mediocre. Ash's performance, like any of her Hindi movies, was pathetic. I am surprise she gets all this attention. Seriously, beauty can take places.
The story is strange and the way to present it is even stranger.
Not recommended to watch it. Unless you really want to drool over Ash.
- eternally_screwed89
- Jul 11, 2006
- Permalink
What to say of this film? Well first the good bits. The story is an engaging fairy tale shot through with the kind of messy but engaging humanity that only India and Indians can bring. A sensuous feast for the eyes (I enjoyed the film whilst downing a bottle of wine with my other half) there are some gorgeous shots with piles of spices and herbs you can almost smell on the screen. Zhora Sehgal is always great and pops up in all sorts of films as "miscellaneous old Indian lady" and Aishwariya Rai is quite astonishingly loose-the-thread-of-what-you-were-talking-about beautiful.
On the other hand Dylan McDermott is awful, utterly wooden and unconvincing as the architect-biker. Check out one shot where he looks utterly ridiculous with his crash helmet on. The ending's a bit of a disappointment too.
All in all worth getting out on video and sitting back and revelling in the sensuous side of the film
On the other hand Dylan McDermott is awful, utterly wooden and unconvincing as the architect-biker. Check out one shot where he looks utterly ridiculous with his crash helmet on. The ending's a bit of a disappointment too.
All in all worth getting out on video and sitting back and revelling in the sensuous side of the film
- alan-culpitt
- Jul 22, 2007
- Permalink
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.
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.
I enjoyed this film almost as much as "Bride and Prejudice" The cinematography was fantastic and the story was very original and heartwarming. A great date movie and one you can watch with kids around. With all the schlock that is being put out now, this was a breath of fresh air.
The acting is excellent and the mix of humor and drama was even and well paced. No its not the best movie ever made but it's one of the best I've rented lately, enough so that I would watch it again.
The supporting cast, many of whom were in "Bride and Prejudice", were excellent and you care about them and their problems. A very nice escape from the sad world we live in today.
The acting is excellent and the mix of humor and drama was even and well paced. No its not the best movie ever made but it's one of the best I've rented lately, enough so that I would watch it again.
The supporting cast, many of whom were in "Bride and Prejudice", were excellent and you care about them and their problems. A very nice escape from the sad world we live in today.
- jbarnes-10
- May 24, 2007
- Permalink
The movie is awful.no two ways about it. The directer and the screenplay writers have completely killed the story. This movie is based on Chitra Devakaruni Banerjee's novel by the same title. Go read the book. Chances are you are going to hate the movie even more after reading the book. I don't even want to waste my time explaining what went wrong with the movie,but this is the worst adaptation of a book i have ever seen. I am amazed how did the writer allow her book to be so badly adapted into a movie. The writers have killed all the essential elements of the book which made the book good. The film,instead is nonsensical and even ridiculous. Don't waste your time watching the movie. buying the book would be a better utilization of your time and money.