#REVIEW: “MR. MALCOLM’S LIST”

Review by George Kozera for Mr. Will Wong

Let us immediately address the elephant in the room. Can MR. MALCOLM’S LIST survive the scrutiny of being compared to “Bridgerton”? Both are Regency period pieces set in the 1800s, with an inclusive multi-racial Cast. Each has its share of dialogue spoken with impeccable British accents,  while strolling in lush gardens or exquisite rooms in stately manors or the ubiquitous Balls.

Directed by Emma Holly Jones and written by Suzanne Allain (who also wrote the Novel this is based on), the Film centers on a young woman named Julia Thistlewaite (Zawe Ashton) who exacts revenge after being rejected by the highly-desired and eligible bachelor Jeremy Malcolm (Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù), who is constantly fending-off money-hungry women. He has a list of then things he looks for, and Julia fails at adequate conversation (#4 on the list) in their disastrous date at the Opera. Julia enlists her childhood friend Selina Dalton (Freida Pinto) to help, luring him in and deceiving him into believing she meets every single criteria on his list.  When she gets him to propose to her, she turns the tables with her own list, pointing-out his inadequancies. Throw-in Julia’s cousin Lord Cassidy (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and Theo James (HBO’s The Time Traveler’s Wife) as Captain Henry Ossory, one of Malcolm’s associates, we enter deep into Jane Austen territory.

First-time Feature Director Emma Holly Jones tackles the material with perfunctory assurance. Though lacking the grandeur and visual flair of recent Costume Dramas, Jones’ comedic flare is substantial. Moreover, everyone in the Cast exudes the perfect amount of charm and fury with newcomer Ashton breaking the bank in an addictive, terrific performance. Old-fashioned in execution, MR. MALCOLN’S LIST must be commended for its charm and romance.

Certainly, a refreshing and frothy addition to the Summer movie slate. levelFILM release MR. MALCOLM’S LIST, now in theatres.