My Review of Mr Malcolm's List (2022)

 

Written by Suzanne Allain

Directed by Emma Holly Jones

Lord Cassidy: "Becoming a suitable bride is quite burdensome. I almost feel as if I'm being trained up to become a wife."

Selina Dalton: "I know. God forbid someone decided to enter a marriage based on love."

Lord Cassidy: "What a wonderful thing to say."

If the success of Bridgerton wasn't enough to sate your Regency hype, then perhaps this rather modest and sweet natured movie might also help. It's got quite the goings on in.

First of all, you've got the titular Mr Jeremy Malcolm (Sope Dirusu) himself. He wants a wife and not any woman will do. He's got a list of things any potential wife must tick off and if you don't, then you may end up being an unintended caricature.

This was the fate of one Julia Thistlewaite (Zawe Ashton). She didn't meet Malcolm's List and found herself a source of mockery. Now, Julia didn't take that lying down. By her own logic, revenge was the order of the day and Malcolm was going to get a taste of his own just desserts.

For this to happen, Julia needed help and she enlisted her dandyish cousin Lord Cassidy (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and childhood friend, Selina Dalton (Frieda Pinto) to execute plan. The plan being for Malcolm to fall in love with Selina and for the latter to hit with a list that he wouldn't meet.

It's a very petty plan but it's one that also took some fairly predictable albeit enjoyable twists. Of course Malcolm and Selina would fall in love with each other. Cassidy saw it coming and actively rooted for them while Julia herself seethed over the prospect and tried to sabotage the budding romance.

Of course while Julia might have been resentful of her friend finding love with the man who embarrased her, she got the secondary romance with Captain Henry Ossery (Theo James). That in turn did soften her resolve towards Malcolm and Selina as the movie sped towards a romantic ending for the lovers. 

- The movie was based on a book by the same name with the author having adapted the script.

- Oliver Jackson-Cohen wanted to play Lord Cassidy as a gay man and he more or less did, despite the director not totally going with it.

- I liked the use of caricatures for the closing credits of the movie. It was a nice touch.

- Chronology: 1818 Regency London. 

Mr Malcolm's List turned out to be a nice, frothy and feel good Regency romp. While not exactly as pulse racing as a certain Netflix show, there's a lot to enjoy with her. Both Sope Dirusu and Frieda Pinto are on winning form with the central romance that some of the more predictable moments are charming for it.

Rating: 7 out of 10