The Mistress of Spices (2005)

What a waste of my time!!!

Am I Missing Something?

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Tilo (Aishwarya Rai) was left an orphan in India when her parents were killed by bandits. Happily, an old lady, skilled in herbal medicine, aka "spices", took her on as a pupil. One of the things that Tilo learned was how to "listen" to the spices and predict futures, including her own. Now, Tilo lives outside San Francisco and runs a well-known spice shop, where she is revered as an herbalist and good person. But, she avoids romance, in part because her instructor drilled in the need for personal sacrifice in her life's work. Also, she has never been to SF, despite living so close. One day, a handsome motorcyclist, Doug (Dylan McDermott) is injured in front of her shop. Tilo immediately senses that this man is "trouble" for her celibacy but she mixes a concoction of herbs that heals his wounds more quickly. For his part, Doug is attracted to Tilo's great beauty and gentle ways. He makes a point of trying to get her to go on a date. But, even spending time thinking of this man causes Tilo to lose balance and blame mishaps to her regular customers on her own inattention. Can Tilo resist Doug? Will a romance upset her world? This is an exotic, stunningly beautiful film that is virtually unknown to most of the public. Perhaps, fans of McDermott have sought it out; lucky them. Part of the film's success lies in the glimpse into the world of Indian spices and heritage, especially the strong dedication of Hindi herbalists. The movie also features two lovely performances from the stars and a great supporting cast. Costumes, setting, photography, and a sensitive direction complete its journey to excellence. Do make a strong effort to find this gem, romance and quality film fans. It will turn your head and touch your heart.

I loved the mystical elements of this film, and Tilo's beauty alone was worth watching the film for. I want to comment on a few of the other reviewer's comments. sarahjane-h-j mentions how it was unnecessary when the store collapsed from mysterious powers. there was nothing mysterious about it, the store collapsed from an earthquake. Don, Tilo's lover says that he heard about the quake and came right over. The sound in this movie wasn't always crystal clear and I had to strain my ears or rewind to understand certain words, but he said that there was a quake. Shaun Hennessy (henfish) said: "She's not allowed to touch a human... SHE'S RUBBING HER COUSIN'S HAND 5 MINUTES IN!" That wasn't her hand rubbing her cousin's hand. He was rubbing his own hand. I am not even sure that was her cousin. If so, I didn't catch that and I saw it twice, but regardless, she told Harnoun to rub the spice in his hand and that was his own hand rubbing in the spice. Mistress of Spices is a fun, fairy tale. The visual's were beautiful and a nice love story. I highly recommend it. It is worthwhile to see.

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")

I am not a very pised or very frustrated dude. I have seen lot of great acting in my life. Its okay some people are not great actors its just that way and some are. Example Robert De Niro, Paul Newman, Madhuri Dixit (Indian), Tabu (Indian). Aishwarya is no where closer. She is nothing but a pretty face and not just that she is damn arrogant. This works in India because for folks in India seeing somebody so beautiful is very rare. But at an international level I don't think she has the right material. Even in Bollywood, there are better actresses. She's a pretty face that sells tickets and people have taken her too far for what she's worth. Sorry Aishwarya and Aishwarya fans, I don't intend to be harsh or rude but this reality.Indian.