Mr. Malcom’s List: Sweet Period Piece Beholden to the Past yet Guided by the Present
By Kim Hughes
Rating: B+
Fans of the novels of Jane Austen or the Netflix series Bridgerton will swoon with delight at Mr. Malcolm's List, a romance-slash-drama also set in early 19th century London that, like the beforementioned titles, is filled to bursting with dashing bachelors, scheming social climbers, fancy balls, innumerable frocks with empire waists, and pointed commentary on the British class system.
While the film’s plot and execution are derivative, its backstory — and casting, again like Bridgerton— are anything but.
The film opens in 1802 as boarding school chums Julia and Selina pledge lifelong fealty to one another. Fast-forward to 1818 and affluent, adult Julia (Zawe Ashton) is living her best life. Things could only get better if handsome and wealthy Jeremiah Malcolm (Sope Dirisu) —on the hunt for a suitable wife in an age when such things are closely observed by the upper class — would pursue her.
But their high-profile date at the opera creates no sparks, a point cruelly underscored by a satirical illustration which subsequently appears in the local newspaper. Humiliated, Julia seeks comfort from her bumbling but good-natured cousin Lord Cassidy (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). Cassidy happens to be friends with Malcolm and has discovered that he is using a checklist to assess the suitability of potential mates on things like charity, smarts, and so on, which shallow Julia failed.
Her embarrassment at this publicly chronicled outcome quickly morphs into anger, and she decides to seek revenge on Malcolm for what she perceives as his judgemental arrogance. With her cousin’s insider knowledge of what Malcolm seeks in a bride, Julia decides to place in his path the perfect woman, one who checks all the boxes, only to snatch her away once Malcolm becomes smitten. Enter smart, beautiful, altruistic but comparatively poor Selina (Freida Pinto).
At this point, Mr. Malcolm’s List also conjures both My Fair Lady and Dangerous Liaisons as Julia and Lord Cassidy hastily bring workaday Selina to London to help execute their nefarious plan, training her in the art of society and deception, to Selina’s blossoming discomfort. Naturally, when they finally meet, Selina and Malcolm genuinely connect — Selina really does possess the values Malcolm prizes — but things eventually unravel when he learns of the plot against him.
Oh, how will this all end? Will Selina and Malcolm make peace? Will Julia and a handsome solider make hay? Will quietly blundering servant John (Divian Ladwa, the film’s charming running gag) quit in disgust? While you can probably guess the end from the trailer, the fun remains rooted in the journey, undertaken by a very committed cast.
Of the many attributes of Mr. Malcolm’s List, its colour-blind casting is far and away its best, with Black, brown, white, and Asian actors simply presented as they are, often as relatives, without undo explanation. The film is also elevated by its attention to period-specific detail, and the vibrant use of colour in everything from costumes to sets.
The story, based on Suzanne Allain’s self-published novel, came to director Emma Holly Jones' attention when an adapted script was featured on a podcast. The filmmakers made a short of the story, which became a sensation, making a full-length feature a viable, funded next step. Indeed, many of the film’s principals, including Dirisu, Pinto, and Jackson-Cohen, also appeared in the short..
So, here we have a genuine grassroots thing, and a bona fide collaboration, resulting in a pleasant if predictable movie filled with actors that are easy on everyone’s eyes and an ending that Ms. Austen would approve.
Those unmoved by noisy summer blockbusters have their cinematic alternative.
Mr. Malcolm’s List. Written by Suzanne Allain. Directed by Emma Holly Jones. Starring Sope Dirisu, Freida Pinto, Zawe Ashton, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. Opens in theatres July 1.