Review: ‘Mr. Malcolm’s List’
Mr. Malcolm’s List is a remarkable, witty, and incredibly satisfying film that, although lacking the contemporary feel, edge, and bite of other recent period dramas, is charming and wondrous in its own right.
It would be an understatement to say that Mr. Malcolm’s List‘s journey to the big screen has been anything but smooth. Originally published as a novel by author Suzanne Allain in 2009, a screenplay adaptation written by Allain herself made its way onto The Black List, an annual survey of the “most-liked” motion picture screenplays not yet produced, a few short years later. Since that, the project has undergone multiple renditions, including a short film released in 2019 starring Freida Pinto and Gemma Chan, and changes; when it was first announced as a feature film in 2020, Constance Wu and Sam Heughan were both attached. Now, 13 years and a pandemic later, Mr. Malcolm’s List has finally made its way onto the big screen. But is it worth the wait?
Starring Pinto, reprising her role from the short film, Zawe Ashton, Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Theo James and Ashley Park, Mr. Malcolm’s List follows Julia Thistlewaite (Ashton), who ends up being jilted by London’s most eligible bachelor, Mr. Malcolm (Dìrísù), after she fails to meet an item on his list of requirements for a bride. Feeling humiliated and determined to exact revenge, she convinces her friend Selina Dalton (Pinto) to play the role of his ideal match. Soon, Mr. Malcolm wonders whether he’s found the perfect woman… or the perfect hoax.
Directed by Emma Holly Jones in her feature-length directorial debut, Mr. Malcolm’s List is a remarkable, witty, and incredibly satisfying film that, although lacking the contemporary feel, edge, and bite of other recent period dramas, is charming and wondrous in its own right. Featuring a perfectly-concocted mixture of romance, social satire, and situational comedy, there’s a real sense of urgency, and thus energy, to the film’s proceedings, which isn’t always the case when it comes to period dramas. Where some recent similar films and TV shows took their sweet time getting to their point, meandering, faltering, and eventually falling apart by their third acts, Mr. Malcolm’s List is short, sweet, and consistently engaging, although it may not leave much of an impression on audiences after the credits roll.
Aside from its lavish production design by Ray Ball and its stunning cinematography courtesy of director of photography Tony Miller, there isn’t much to ponder or chew on here. The film does attempt to tackle gender politics at times, with Pinto’s Selina expressing her thoughts and opinions about the politics of the Regency-era to a more-than-welcoming Mr. Malcolm, but those arguments feel flimsy and outdated, which makes sense considering the screenplay was written years ago. (Which, in today’s current social and political climate, might as well have been decades ago.) Nonetheless, Mr. Malcolm’s List is a sweet, sugary, and vibrant romp that is elevated by its wonderful (and incredibly game) cast.
Ashton, as the cunning and deliciously devious Julia Thistlewaite, is a delight to watch, lighting up the screen whenever she appears with her sharp delivery and exceptional comedic timing. Beyond her sly and guileful nature, she also manages to bring some pathos and nuance to the character, ensuring that audiences will be able to connect with her by the end of the film’s runtime. Jackson-Cohen, known for his roles in more intense fare such as The Haunting of Hill House and The Invisible Man, is a riot as Julia’s cousin and best friend Lord Cassidy, a bumbling, dimwitted yet ultimately endearing caricature of the snobby and self-important Lords and Ladies of the Regency era. Perfectly complimenting Ashton’s Julia, Jackson-Cohen also excels with his comedic timing and hilarious delivery, making it a wonder that he hasn’t been cast in more comedies.
Elsewhere, Emily in Paris breakout Ashley Park almost steals the show with her hilarious turn as Selina’s obnoxious yet well-meaning cousin Gertie Covington, while Theo James is charming, if somewhat underused, as Captain Henry Ossory, who complicates matters for Selina and Mr. Malcolm as the former’s childhood best friend turned possible love interest. However, a movie like Mr. Malcolm’s List lives and dies by the chemistry of its lead actors and thankfully, both Pinto and Dìrísù are more than equipped to handle the pressure, stepping up to the challenge and passing with flying colors.
As the more thoughtful and sensitive Selina, Pinto may not have as much to do as her co-stars, at least not outwardly, but she still manages to shine on screen with her engaging, quietly powerful performance as a woman stuck between trying to do right by her hurt best friend while also attempting to find love for herself. Dìrísù, who impressed with his haunting, searing performance in Netflix horror film His House, shows another side of himself that audiences may not have seen before as the cool and charismatic Mr. Malcolm, who is as magnetic as he is vulnerable; while Mr. Malcolm may be fastidious and choosy, he is merely trying to find love after all, allowing audiences to empathize with a character that may have merely been a one-note villain in another actor’s hands.
And while films and shows such as The Personal History of David Copperfield and Bridgerton may have beat Mr. Malcolm’s List to the punch, it is still incredibly refreshing seeing people of color on-screen in period costumes and settings. One blindspot the film has, however, is its lack of clearly-defined LGBTQ+ characters. While Jackson-Cohen’s bumbling Lord Cassidy is undeniably queer-coded, as made evident with his flamboyant costumes and personality, the film is lacking any proper queer representation, a pitfall that many other similar projects, including Bridgerton, have found themselves falling victims to. One has to wonder why there has been a glaring and consistent shortage of LGBTQ+ representation in otherwise progressive films and TV shows that pride themselves on other forms of representation. Nonetheless, Mr. Malcolm’s List is still undeniably a joyful, funny, and romantic piece of inspired filmmaking that is filled to the brim with charm and mischievousness.
Rating: 4/5
Mr. Malcolm’s List will be released in theaters in the US on July 1, 2022 and in the UK on August 26, 2022.