Cinthia's Movie Corner

"The Mistress of Spices" (2006) - Romance/Fantasy

Rating: PG-13

Starring: Aishwarya Rai, Dylan McDermott, Nitin Ganatra.

Rating: 5 stars

For me it is always hard to answer the question: "What is your favorite movie?" I have at least 100 favorite movies! Another difficult one is: "Who do you think is the most beautiful woman in the world?" But after watching "The Mistress of Spices" I am equipped to answer that; in my opinion the most beautiful woman in the world is one of India's biggest stars: Aishwarya Rai. Not only is she a fantastic actress, but she's also a creature of ethereal, surreal beauty. Matching her with Dylan McDermott for this film was a very intelligent move: he is indeed quite a sight and when both of them are together on the screen it's like an explosion of good looks that will either make you ravenously jealous or totally exhilarated (hopefully you'll feel the latter, as I did). This beautiful, mystical fairy tale tells the story of Tilo, a girl with a special gift. She is adopted by the "Head Mistress of Spices" and learns an ancient, magical art of communing with spices in order to spread ailment and well being to people all around the world. Upon completing her training, she vows to dedicate her life to the service of others, and is then sent to San Francisco where she resides at and operates the "Spice Bazaar". Through the shop's doors a myriad of interesting characters - with a variety of needs and worries - enter Tilo's magical world and she gives them comfort, peace of mind, and spiritual protection - all through the use of different spices and their natural powers. Everything is orderly in Tilo's life until the unexpected happens: love comes knocking in the form of a handsome (and oh, is he ever!) American architect. But love is forbidden for a Mistress of Spices. Tilo must face a difficult choice: keep her vow of living a selfless life, or give in to an amazing new and powerful feeling, filled with the promises of a future of brightness and love. With a delightful cast of characters and great screenplay by the wonderful Gurinder Chadha (who directed "Bend it Like Beckham" and "Bride and Prejudice" - two other movies I highly recommend), this enchanted fairy tale is a feast for all the true romantics out there.