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Nina's Heavenly Delights (2006)

Director: Pratibha Parmar

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From Time Out London

For a film set against the backdrop of Scotland’s premier curry restaurants, ‘Nina’s Heavenly Delights’ is disappointingly tepid and flavourless fare. Pratibha Parmar’s debut revolves around Nina (Shelley Conn), a young woman of Pakistani origin who returns home to Glasgow to run her family’s curry house following the death of her father. Entering an annual cook-off between the city’s top Indian and Pakistani restaurants, she falls for her business partner and old school chum Laura (Laura Fraser). What follows is achingly predictable romcom stuff. Parmar’s repeated comparisons between love and cooking (‘follow your heart’, Nina’s father’s recipe book tells her; advice you never hear from Gordon Ramsay) only bring to mind better foodie romcoms like ‘Eat Drink Man Woman’. Indeed, it’s hard to get excited about the movie’s celebration of sensual pleasures when it’s directed with all the flair of an episode of ‘Hollyoaks’. Still, Shelley Conn is appealing as Nina, and top marks to the food stylist for serving up some dishy-looking meals. One to avoid if you’re hungry.

Author: Edward Lawrenson 2006-09-26 11:52:49

Time Out London Issue 1884: September 27-October 4 2006