Written by: Suzanne Allain
Starring: Freida Pinto, Sope Dirisu, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ashley Park, Zawe Ashton, Theo James
Rating: [3.5/5]
Having a list of preferences in a romantic partner comes naturally for all, as we have features and traits we prefer in our romantic half. Usually these preferences remain in our heads and not on a literal written list as seen in the aptly titled Mr. Malcolm’s List. This regency tale of judgment and deception pieces together some lovely characters, making for quite the enjoyable viewing experience.
Known for not finding any dates impressive, Mr. Jeremy Malcolm (Sope Dirisu) spurns Julia Thistlewaite (Zawe Ashton) where she learns from her brother that Mr. Malcolm maintains a list of traits and preferences he has for a woman he deems suitable for him. Intent with using this list against him, Julia brings on a childhood friend, Selina (Freida Pinto), who with all of the knowledge on these preferences seeks to embarrass him.
As mentioned before, everyone has their preferences that can be as layered as personality down to the superficial, such as physical traits. Some you keep to yourself, which are usually the more sensitive ones but the fact Mr. Malcolm has this list that he shares with others really says something about this fellow. It puts him on the back foot with audience members given this forwardness and lack of sensitivity regarding the feelings of others. This only gets made worse when the very sweet protagonist, Selina, makes her way into the story and how she could get hurt in all of this. To the film’s credit, it makes all of this work very well, as we get another winner in this period of regency revival.
With the immense popularity of “Bridgerton” it came as no surprise that more films taking place in a similar time period found their ways to multiplexes. Just like the aforementioned show, Mr. Malcolm’s List embraces the diversity that existed during that period and brings it to the forefront with colorblind casting that does not focus on identity but rather gives these actors the opportunity to play leads in a film during this period of time. Thankfully we did get this casting because each of these actors did a delightful job in bringing life to these characters.
Freida Pinto, in particular, was a delight in this feature as she brought this purity to the character of Selina who does everything in this film with the best of intentions. At first, she wants to complete this favor for her longtime friend, Julia, but her feelings for Mr. Malcolm’s develops heavily complicates things. Seeing Pinto get a leading role in a film like this warms my heart as she has always delivered when asked to step up to the plate and her portrayal of Selina is no different. She had a wonderful supporting cast boasting fun performances from the likes of Sope Dirisu, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ashley Park, Zawe Ashton, and Theo James. Each of them brought something distinct to this story and rounded out the major reasons it works.
As we know in all of these regency stories, the biggest issues the characters faces lies solely in the matters of the heart. While some have more financial and societal advantages than others, none of these characters are worrying about finding their next meal, which allows the budding romances and deceptions to bring a sense of comfort. The highest stakes involved in this feature will involve someone getting their feelings hurt, which in the grand scheme of things, many could agree is not the worst thing in the world. It helps to bring this level of escapism in this story where we can transport to this period and just follow these characters in their quest for love. No need to worry about anything else, which we all need sometimes.
Delivering a nice and enjoyable tale about what it means to unintentionally harm others and have a narrow approach in pursuit of love, Mr. Malcolm’s List scratches the itch for anyone looking for good regency entertainment. You have all of the rules of society at this time and all of the mischief that comes with it allowing these characters to flourish in the dynamics they share with each other. Lovely characters across the board, giving actors great opportunities to demonstrate their talent.
Films with Josh 
