According the VIFF guide, Cooking with Stella is the fiction feature debut of photographer Dilip Mehta, co-written with his sister Deepa, Cooking with Stella is a perfectly judged charmer that wears its politics so lightly you'll never mistake it for a Message Movie. It's the story of Michael (Don McKellar) and Maya (Lisa Ray), a pair of new parents from Ottawa who arrive in New Delhi where Maya has landed a diplomatic post. Comfortable and insulated in their High Commission compound, they get their big taste of India from their cook, Stella. She's a brilliant chef, loyal employee, devout Catholic and a bit of a thief. Stella pads her expenses, pilfers goods from her employers and works overcharging scams with local vendors. Michael and Maya are her latest jackpot, and the great fun of the movie is in seeing her negotiate their importance to her--first as easy marks, then as friends and finally as something like family.
For me, the unfortunate part of this film is that I just didn't like Stella. And I am not sure if we are supposed. Sure, she has some comedic moments but to be honest her thievery was a major turn off for me. As well, it really irked me how she eventually corrupted Maya and Michael's nanny Tannu. The film makers make a point of the poverty that Stella and Tannu live in that perhaps is the reason why they do what they do. For some reason, I though the kindness of her new bosses might stop her life of crime but alas no.
The food in the film did look good and that is probably the best thing in it and you can go the official Cooking with Stella website for the recipes.
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