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The period romance has been a perennial favorite of audiences for as long as cinema has existed. Viewers enjoy being able to transport themselves to an idealistic (usually fantasy because the reality of living in these time periods is not reflected in these films) time filled with adventure and romance. Mr. Malcolm’s List is not based on an existing property, however as one watches this movie, they will realize that they have seen this story countless times without anything new or unique to make it interesting in the way that Bridgerton on Netflix or even the somewhat-straight adaptations of Little Women in 2019 or Cyrano earlier this year managed to.
Zawe Ashton plays Julia Thistlewaite who was looking to marry the titular Jeremy Malcolm (played by Sope Dirisu) who turns her away. As an incredibly wealthy man with a high societal standing, Mr. Malcolm is constantly being accosted by matchmakers, mothers trying to marry off their daughters, and other people who are after him just for his money, and he just wants to find a wife he can love. Feeling jilted by his rejection, Julia convinces her friend Selina Dalton (played by Freida Pinto) to pose as Mr. Malcolm’s perfect match in an effort to get revenge on him. As to be expected, romance ensues between Selina and Mr. Malcolm as she attempts to live up to his incredibly high expectations of a wife. Filling out the cast are Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ashley Park, and (just in case you did not get enough of him in six straight weeks of The Time Traveler’s Wife) Theo James.
Any time you have a period movie like this, one of the major things they need to get right is the costume design and production design. Viewers tend to be willing to look past subpar plots or other imperfections if the visuals of the era can allow them to immerse in the world. Fortunately, Mr. Malcolm’s List does deliver on this front. The costume design is fantastic and is probably going to net the film an Oscar nomination if not a win. The production design is also very well done and delivers on what the viewer is going to the theater to see.
The place where viewers may be divides is whether or not the story delivers for them. If one is looking for a story that subverts what one would expect from a period romance, this is not the movie for them. Everything in this movie happens exactly as expected, however there is nothing else about the movie to set itself above and beyond the other similar fare that is available to watch that has come out within the last five years. That’s not to take anything away from the writer or the director of this movie, both of whom are making their debuts, and this will likely make an excellent calling card for them to get future work, however there is very little that is new in this movie. For some, arguably the majority of audience members who are looking for a period romance, that is fine, however if someone is looking for a new experience this movie is not going to satisfy that appetite.
If one is a fan of period romances, they should check out Mr. Malcolm’s List while it is in theaters. Considering that the AMC in Stony Brook is undergoing massive renovations and a bunch of the theaters are closed for upgraded projectors and seating (including the IMAX theater) and that is the theater with the most screens without taking a hike into New York City, this movie will likely not stay in theaters for long with Thor: Love and Thunder opening next week, followed by Where the Crawdads Sing, Nope, and DC League of Superpets for the rest of the month and occupying screens. The movie is family friendly as well with a PG rating so it is interesting counter programming for those who do not want to bring their children to see Minions: The Rise of Gru.
Final Rating: 7/10
