‘MR. MALCOLM’S LIST’ director checks the Austen-esque boxes with modern rom-com twist

Preston Barta // Features Editor

MR. MALCOLM’S LIST

Rated PG, 115 minutes.
Director: Emma Holly Jones
Cast: Freida Pinto, Sope Dirisu, Zawe Ashton, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Theo James, Ashley Park, Sianad Gregory and Divian Ladwa

Movie Review: B+

‘Bridgerton’ + ‘Pride & Prejudice’ + ‘John Tucker Must Die’ = ‘Mr. Malcolm’s List,’ a romance set in ages past that’s 100 percent joy from start to finish. 

Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto is presented as the ideal bride for a picky, wealthy bachelor in Mr. Malcolm’s List, an utterly charming and sensationally witty romance directed by Emma Holly Jones.

Co-starring Sọpẹ Dìrísù, Zawe Ashton and Oliver Jackson-Cohen, the film was adapted for the screen by the book’s author, Suzanne Allain, who lovingly pays homage to the classic spirit of Jane Austen and teen rom-coms like She’s All That and John Tucker Must Die. So much to laugh at and lots to love.

In the film, London’s most eligible bachelor, Mr. Malcolm (Dìrísù), has yet to settle because no one seems to meet his list of requirements for a bride. This list includes finding someone who’s “amiable and even-tempered” and with “musical or artistic talent.” However, after young lady Julia Thistlewaite (a great Zawe Ashton) engages in courtship with the suitor, she later learns that she doesn’t meet one of the qualifications on Mr. Malcolm’s list. 

Thus begins Julia’s plot for revenge, which involves enlisting her friend Selina Dalton (Pinto) to pose as the perfect woman, only to reject his advances later once he’s fallen in love. You know, to give him a taste of his own medicine. So, yes. Very much John Tucker Must Die, but with corsets and some of the greatest British insults to spice up your language.

Mr. Malcolm’s List features a feisty heroine, an arrogant gentleman and a tasty plot supported by hilarious moments and extraordinary supporting characters. You won’t soon forget what Jackson-Cohen (The Invisible Man) and Divian Ladwa (The Personal History of David Copperfield) do as the transitional characters in the romance, even without uttering a word. And I dare you not to smile throughout because it’ll slap a goofy one on you that won’t quit. It’s 100 percent joy from start to finish.

Q&A

Need more convincing? Try our video chat with director Emma Holly Jones on for size. In our below interview, we discuss the biting wit, satirical charm and lush production design. Enjoy, and make note of Mr. Malcolm’s List‘s release in theaters everywhere for this Friday!