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.
Despite the ethereal presence of Aishwarya Rai in the title role, unquestionably one of the most beautiful women on the planet, this savory dose of magic realism goes off almost from the start.
– Michael Rechtshaffen,
Hollywood Reporter,
21 Sep 2005
rotten:
Beautiful but lifeless, poetic but unelevated.
– Derek Elley,
Variety,
25 Apr 2006
rotten:
Imagine Like Water for Chocolate without the passion. Such is the premise of Mistress of Spices, Paul Mayeda Berges's film-directing debut.
– Anita Gates,
New York Times,
4 May 2006
fresh:
Emphasizes the pleasures of scent, taste and touch to a remarkably tantalizing degree.
– Jason Anderson,
Globe and Mail,
28 Jul 2006
rotten:
About all that can be said about The Mistress of Spices is that actress Rai manages to retain a straight face while uttering some of the most risible dialogue ever heard in a supposedly serious drama.