DIRECTOR: Emma Holly Jones
CAST: Freida Pinto, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ashley Park, Zawe Ashton, Theo James, Divian Ladwa, Naoko Mori, Sophie Vavasseur, Sianad Gregory
RUNNING TIME: 117 mins
CERTIFICATE: PG
BASICALLY…: A woman (Pinto) is recruited for a revenge scheme on a wealthy and mysterious suitor (Dìrísù)…
NOW FOR THE REVIEW…
If you are a Jane Austen fan, and are still reeling over Netflix’s lacklustre adaptation of Persuasion – or are just twiddling your thumbs until the next season of Bridgerton gets made – then reel no more because Mr. Malcolm’s List is the Austen love letter that you never knew you needed in your life, but after the Dakota Johnson-starring disappointment, it might as well have been written by the author herself.
In actuality, though, Mr. Malcolm’s List is based on a self-published 2009 novel by Suzanne Allain, who also wrote the screenplay for this feature-length adaptation, in addition to the ten-minute short which was initially produced in 2019 (and is readily available to watch online). Both versions of the story through and through owe a great debt of gratitude to Austen and her timeless line-up of works, with this one in particular capturing the playful wit and utterly charming appeal of the author’s voice, as well as the fanciful and pleasant visual costumes that have adorned many an Austen adaptation. Capturing those elements well, both Allain and director Emma Holly Jones (who also directed the preceding short) have made themselves a pleasing ode to Austen that’s more worthy of your time than the actual recent Austen adaptation.
The mysterious suitor of the title is a Mister Jeremiah Malcolm (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, one of a few people to reprise their roles from the short film), a wealthy and much sought-after bachelor in early 1800s England. However, he has composed himself a list of requirements for a potential bride, which causes him to scorn any woman who does not meet them – his latest victim is Lady Julia Thistlewaite (Zawe Ashton), who swears revenge on him after being publicly humiliated by his rejection. Along with her reluctant cousin Lord Cassidy (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), Julia recruits her childhood friend Selina Dalton (Freida Pinto) into a scheme that will see her woo the difficult-to-please Jeremiah by displaying all the qualifications he is looking for, and then break his heart with her own “list”. However, Selina unexpectedly begins to fall for the charming suitor, while he sees in her the woman whom he’s always wanted to marry, even when she isn’t trying to put on an act.
It is certainly familiar territory with this kind of Regency era romantic costume drama, right down to its irony-laced comedy of manners, but Mr. Malcolm’s List does not feel cynical or completely derivative of others just like it (and not strictly limited to Jane Austen, either). You can tell that writer Allain and director Jones harbour a strong passion for this type of story, and with it the many components of this blissful era from the handsome dresses, to the extravagant parties, right down to the large and beautiful country estates. Their combined passion for the pure and genuinely romantic scenery, as well as spicy and wily dialogue that feels expertly tailored to Austen’s classical prose, is felt in almost every scene, to a point where you feel as though they have truly done their homework in replicating that timeless Austen style without diluting its eternal appeal.
The film also benefits from a charming cast of characters, played by actors who completely embed themselves in the fancy historical framework, and deliver plentiful performances as a result. The script does some strong work with making these characters not feel too one-dimensional, and actually gives them some extra layers that help to humanise them and even earn some sympathy. A good example is Zawe Ashton’s character, who in a lesser story and script would only ever just be the scheming trickster who instigates the main plot, but while the character does say and do some wicked things at times, she is never entirely treated as the villain, but as a more interesting person with an arc that sometimes requires some petty nastiness. Both she and Oliver Jackson-Cohen share a fun dynamic as they scheme together while also trading some semi-loving insults over their silliness and foolish actions, while central lovers Freida Pinto and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù are both equally charming as they develop a nice chemistry which you really do root for as the movie goes along.
Inevitably, though, the film reaches that third-act point in a romantic-comedy, Regency-set or otherwise, where conflict arises and drives certain people apart. While it’s a convention that we all just have to accept being a part of any rom-com at this point, it does still grind the movie to a halt and leave one just waiting for the eventual conclusion to make its long-awaited appearance. It does make the movie somewhat predictable in that regard, and it is unfortunate to see a film so dedicated to being as charming and likeable as the types of stories that clearly inspired it, resort to familiar beats which remind you that you’re watching a movie rather than experiencing something a bit more unique, as Austen’s novels once did.
That aside, Mr. Malcolm’s List is a very likeable ode to the author that feels more authentic and true to her identity than, again, the recent adaptation of an actual Jane Austen novel.
SO, TO SUM UP…
Mr. Malcolm’s List is a charming and likeable love letter to the types of Regency-era romantic-comedies that Jane Austen popularised, with a strong eye for costumes and witty dialogue, as well as characters who are easy to root for and enjoy having a fun time around, even when the plot takes an all-too familiar turn.
