Nina’s Heavenly Delights
Jeannette Catsoulis
A cloying blend of Bollywood sentiment and “Amélie” whimsy, “Nina’s Heavenly Delights” is a lesbian-foodie fairy tale that keeps its appetites well under control.
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A cloying blend of Bollywood sentiment and “Amélie” whimsy, “Nina’s Heavenly Delights” is a lesbian-foodie fairy tale that keeps its appetites well under control. The title may hint at naughty pleasures, but the director, Pratibha Parmar, is more interested in pappadams than passion.

Returning to Glasgow after a three-year absence to attend her father’s funeral, Nina Shah (Shelley Conn) finds her family concealing more secrets than the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Most pressing, however, is the imminent sale of their award-winning Indian restaurant, a direct consequence of Dad’s hidden gambling problem. If only Nina could win the Best of the West cooking competition, the eatery would be saved and the entire cast free to confess their indiscretions before the final credits. Fetch the turmeric!

Tackling the conflict trifecta — race, sex and class — “Nina’s Heavenly Delights” groans beneath ethnic stereotypes and half-baked performances. Blander than a cumin-free curry, Nina never convinces us that she can cook, let alone entice the lovely Lisa (Laura Fraser) into her fearful arms.

Diluted by menu pornography and cringeworthy dance routines (courtesy of a flamboyant troupe known as the Chutney Queens), the movie’s central romance barely qualifies as such. “It’s all about chemistry,” Nina says. Too bad she and her co-star possess so little.