From the time Jane Austen put pen to paper, Regency style romances have been a vehicle for revolutionary social commentary. To this very day, writers are still using Regency era settings and social politics to explore contemporary issues as well as ones that still persist since the 1800s. Some aspects of life have sadly not progressed enough, but that is a shock to no one. As of late, there’s been a Regency resurgence and it can be difficult to suss out which Georgian-era tinged media is worth your time. Mr. Malcolm’s List, adapted by Suzanne Allain from her own novel and directed by Emma Holly Jones, flew under quite a few radars despite being a subversively modern take on the idea of Regency romance. And no — it’s not subversive because its heroines disingenuously speak in a reductively contemporary manner. This isn’t that sort of modern take on Regency. What really aids Mr. Malcolm’s List’s ingenuity is the handling of Zawe Ashton’s character, Julia Thistlewaite. In the hands of any other creative team, Julia would have been reduced to an Austenian mean girl, another woman to be discarded for her inherent human flaws and feelings. Instead, Julia becomes a heroine of the narrative in her own right, a deuteragonist to Freida Pinto’s Selina.
The framework for Mr. Malcolm’s List is deviously and deliciously simple. Julia is spurned by the titular Mr. Jeremiah “Jeremy” Malcolm (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù). Mr. Malcolm has a list of requirements for a bride and Julia fails to measure up, leaving her to become a laughingstock among the hoi polloi of Regency England. However, Julia is cunning and not one to let such a slight go. She enlists the help of her closest friend and confidant, Selina, to best Mr. Malcolm. Aided by Julia’s long-suffering cousin, Lord Cassidy (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), Julia turns Selina into Mr. Malcolm’s ideal woman. The project is not without its hiccups, however, when the nephew (Henry Ossory, played by Theo James) of Selina’s former employer arrives in town and shows interest in courting Selina himself.
Despite Julia’s deceptions and machinations, she is presented as a likable character. While she is a bit antagonistic by nature, she’s never posited as the film’s villain. She merely gets the plot moving by bringing Mr. Malcolm and Selina together. Julia’s headstrong vivacity throughout the film is infectious; she’s given a nuanced personality and is differentiated from Selina, though she is never debased to uphold Selina as not only Mr. Malcolm’s ideal woman, but the audience’s as well. Never once is Julia demonized for not being like Selina. Julia is presented as being as worthy of love as Selina is, regardless of the women sharing marked differences. Selina is more shy and cerebral, while Julia is more mischievous and outgoing. Allain and Jones make sure that the audience knows that, even with deceit at hand, the women are first and foremost friends and that friendship can be deeply complicated and rewardingly rich. The conflict is real, human, and eschews any of those gratingly misogynistic tropes and comes down to something as simple as Julia wanting Mr. Malcolm for herself. There’s no tired pitting of women against women, no romantic rivals tripe that many modern writers of all skill levels fall into.
Julia’s complexity is shown in moments of raw vulnerability. She puts on a haughty mask for the world, but inside, Julia is simply a woman who wants to be loved. In one particularly touching scene, Julia airs her fears to Selina and why Mr. Malcolm’s rejection smarts. It’s Julia’s fourth season being courted, she’s aging, and people are beginning to talk about how she should step aside and allow younger women a better shot at finding a suitor. This is a meaningful scene because it mirrors the contemporary real world issues regarding women, aging, and desirability. A lot of women and femmes are made to feel like they are running out of time, that they will no longer be desirable past the age of 25. This causes many people to force romance and marry the wrong person. The commentary proffered here is even more meaningful when one factors in actress Zawe Ashton’s real age. Ashton is 38, past the patriarchal idea of what is considered a woman’s prime, though it’s difficult to imagine that anyone would ever actually consider Ashton past any sort of expiration date. It thoroughly highlights the absurdity of this facet of society while validating the real pain women feel. Funnily enough, when discussing the timing of her recently announced pregnancy and the pressures put on people regarding becoming parents with Tatler, Ashton said, “I’ve been prehistoric in this industry since I was 25!”
This and a later scene between Selina and Julia, post Mr. Malcolm discovering Julia’s plot, recontextualizes the character almost entirely. Julia is a woman who wants love, who truly desires it, yet it evades her. It imbues her with a sense of existential dread that makes Julia a melancholy character whose wit and confidence hide a world of unmet wants and needs. The would-be Austenian mean girl is given depth and a rich interior world. All of her dreams are dying before her eyes, but at least she has her revenge plot to look forward to… until Selina ruins it by genuinely falling in love with Mr. Malcolm. Julia perceives that as some great betrayal because Selina is her best friend and therefore they should be a united front in the face of societal ridicule. This was supposed to be a grand scheme, not a meet-cute. However, Julia is still hellbent on humbling Mr. Malcolm and making him pay for his hubris. Her upset pushes her to hurt Selina in the process.
It is important to note that, while Selina is falling in love with Mr. Malcolm, Julia is not totally without her own prospects, and her own love interest comes from the most unexpected place. Henry Ossory came to London to find Selina and court her. His aunt, Selina’s former employer, thought the two would make a great match; however, the aunt never accounted for Selina falling in love with Mr. Malcolm and Henry becoming enamored with Julia. An attraction between Julia and Henry simmers beneath the surface for most of the film. The two banter easily. Henry might be “just a captain,” and is by no means the high society sort of man Julia envisioned, but the romance that blossoms between them is one built on respect and admiration. Even with all of Julia’s tricks and schemes, Henry sees the wit of the woman behind the deceptions. He doesn’t fail to notice her inherent worth like Mr. Malcolm did, proving that, while you may fail at romance with one person, someone even better might be out there for you.
Julia finally gets the romance she craves and the love-match she desperately wants. Her dreams are achievable, even in the moments it seems like they aren’t within her reach. Julia’s constant nervous bachelor-chasing proved fruitless, but it is the path that led her to Ossory. In a way, Julia’s stubbornness and pride, traits most react to negatively, became her greatest asset in finding love. Really, Julia’s love story becomes one hinged on authenticity. The Mr. Malcolm debacle could have easily turned her into a Regency era “pick-me,” yet it made Julia bolder. Her boldness paired with the vulnerability and self-reflection the experience imbued her with changed her for the better. Julia’s emotional journey and relatable resonance makes her love story an extra triumph, yet not the main one. However, her romance with Ossory sends the sweetly subtle message that the right love will be with someone who loves you, faults and all.
One of the most admirable parts of Julia’s character is, in the end, she comes to recognize her faults and is genuinely sorry for the hurt she caused. She grows into a better person and actively learns from her ills. Her dynamic portrayal makes her more lovable because, while she is deeply flawed, she is still inherently worthy of love and respect. Allain and Jones give Julia the space and the grace to grow, and that in and of itself is wonderfully radical. The film never once passes judgment on Julia, and thus, she is able to experience that much-needed transformation. Like in society, women characters are often held to impossible standards, but when the creatives at hand allow them to evolve in their own right and reach their full potential, it is a truly beautiful experience for the viewer. Julia’s character is given room to breathe and as a result is an intimate and lived-in character who mirrors the constraints of society.
While the character is fully entrenched in the Regency time period, Julia speaks to modern sensibilities in a way that many characters in contemporary media fail. Zawe Ashton, Emma Holly Jones, and Suzanne Allain have pulled off a glorious feat in creating a multifaceted character that transcends time, and explores womanhood in a way that is dynamic and forgiving. Julia is a delightful character, and is proof of how prescient period films are. Mr. Malcolm’s List is a charming romantic comedy romp with breeches and bonnets, but it’s also a compelling character study, and a societal critique. It’s layered and lovely, much like Miss Julia Thistlewaite herself.
Lovely spot on review of a lovely entertaining film!