Where I Watched It: iTunes

English Audio Description Provided By: pixel logic

Narrated By: Tanzi Alexander

When this was floating around in theatres, I remember someone comparing this to Bridgerton. That’s a bit of a stretch. Bridgerton is much more about the tawdry details than this is, even if it does have some….

Oh. No. they meant Freida Pinto. Casting. They meant unconventional casting, which i suppose is now being solely attributed to Bridgerton? Now whenever we see non-white people in roles they wouldn’t have been offered fifty years ago, it’s the Bridgerton effect. And if it’s a musical, it’s the Hamilton effect.

What’s a shame here is that anyone focused on that at all. I know it’s because of years of systematic abuse by an industry that tried its hardest to be exclusionary, and reserve certain roles for certain skin tones. But, at this point, I wish we could also just talk about how good a movie is, or the performer, and not try to lump it in with some larger movement. Mr Malcolm’s List really isn’t anything special, and I’d prefer Bridgerton. However, Freida Pinto is nice in this romantic comedy that could have possibly charmed its audience.

The Mr. Malcolm in question is a bachelor back in the days when ankles were sexy, and he’s making a list of what he’s looking for in a potential mate. When his latest date finds out that she fails to live up to his expectations, she has a rather nefarious concept. She has a friend find out what is on this list, and then she has her friend pretend to be the perfect mate Mr. Malcolm is looking for, with the intention of having her (Pinto) break up with him and break his cold little heart. This, of course, being a romantic comedy, does tend to go a different way.

I’d love to tell you this charmed my socks off, but there’s something about this that never quite gets off the ground. It’s a little like the Persuasion adaptation from this year, in that there’s some charm, but somehow it never quite works, never quite feels special, and never quite makes your heart flutter the way a romantic comedy needs to.

But, hey, it’s like Bridgerton.

The audio description here was… fine? Honestly, I’m really behind on reviewing this title, and many of the specifics of this film have escaped me. I’m surprised I remember as much as i did. Luckily, I did a YouTube review, so there’s that. I at least remember the grade I gave it.

Final Grade: C+