The Mistress of Spices

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The Mistress of Spices ★½2005

Beautiful but remarkably inert attempt at magical realism. Tilo (Rai) has second sight and has been taught to use the magic of various spices to help others. She emigrates from India and opens a spice shop in Oakland, but there are three severe restrictions she must follow: she can't use the spices for personal gain; she can't touch the skin of another human being; and she can't ever leave the shop. Tilo seems okay with all this until studly Doug (McDermott) has an accident right outside. She helps him, he helps her, and the spices turn on Tilo (and her clients). Although it hardly seems fair that anyone as luscious as Rai should be held hostage by saffron (which attracts love by the way). 96m/C DVD . US GB Aishwarya Rai, Dylan McDermott, Ayesha Dharker, Nitin Ganatra, Anupam Kher, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Sonny Gill Dulay, Padma Lakshmi; D: Paul Mayeda Berges; W: Paul Mayeda Berges, Gurinder Chadha; C: Santosh Sivan; M: Craig Pruess.