“Devilishly wicked, delightfully funny, and with a wonderful heart beneath it all, Wicked Little Letters is a British film to be completely proud of.”
Wicked Little Letters is a black comedy mystery film. Directed by Thea Sharrock and written by Jonny Sweet, the film is opening in cinemas this Friday. The cast for the movie features Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan, Joanna Scanlan, Gemma Jones, Malachi Kirby, Lolly Adefope, Eileen Atkins, and Timothy Spall. From the look of the trailers, you’d expect the film to be full to the brim of hilarity. While this is true, the film also surprises the audience by having some serious things to say, as well as having dramatic moments you won’t see coming. And beneath it all lies a heart that is big enough to encompass it all.
THE PREMISE
A 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a farcical and occasionally sinister scandal in this riotous mystery comedy. Based on a stranger-than-fiction true story, the film follows two neighbours: deeply conservative local Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). When Edith and her fellow residents begin to receive wicked letters full of unintentionally hilarious profanities, foul-mouthed Rose is charged with the crime. The anonymous letters prompt a national uproar, and a trial ensues. However, as the town’s women – led by Police Officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) – begin to investigate the crime themselves, they suspect that something is amiss, and Rose may not be the culprit after all.
THOUGHTS
Where do I begin? The film is another example of British filmmaking at its finest. Pairing the Oscar-winning Olivia Colman with acclaimed actress Jessie Buckley is a pure masterstroke. The pair play off each other so effortlessly, that you’ll be hooked on every interaction they have. With a supporting cast that features the impressive Anjana Vasan at its heart, the film is delightful. It certainly isn’t one to take your granny to. She will be shocked at the profanity that peppers the excellent script by Jonny Sweet. If you’re not easily shocked by such things, you’ll have a blast. If you are, I suggest taking some cotton wool with you to plug your ears. Don’t say you haven’t been warned!
But beneath all the laughs and evil comments the letters make, there is a heart beating away furiously. Moments of anguish, sadness, and high drama also appear during the film. And that is a surprise. We know going in that the film is based on a true story from the 1920s. But we don’t expect the attitudes from that era to rear their heads and bite us. For bite us, they do. Hard. Despite not being able to go into detail about them, for fear of spoiling the film, the audience will find themselves reeling at some of what transpires. And gives the film some gravitas we didn’t expect it to contain from what we have seen so far in clips and trailers.
THE SUPPORTING CAST
The supporting cast are all excellent in their roles. The aforementioned Anjana Vasan is a revelation. Her performance as WPC Gladys Moss is one of the cruxes of the film. Gladys is the first female police officer in Sussex whose male peers undermine her at every turn. Her persistence in solving the case and exonerating Rose leads her into trouble with her male superiors. Anjana Vasan delivers a superb performance, bringing the audience the inside scoop on the investigation. Her determinedness to unmask the culprit behind the letters is something we follow with eagerness from the start.
Joanna Scanlan, Gemma Jones, and Malachi Kirby all provide great support throughout the film. As does Hugh Skinner as Constable Papperwick. In a limited role, Jason Watkins also turns in a winning performance as a lawyer. But it’s the young Alisha Weir as Nancy Gooding, Rose’s daughter who rises above the supporting cast. For someone so young, Alisha Weir proves to the world she has a huge future ahead of her if she so wishes. Her youth endears her to the audience throughout and she provides someone who we can’t help but fall in love with and feel sadness for during the whole film.
TIMOTHY SPALL
Timothy Spall as Edward Swan is vile from the outset. As Edith’s father, he is domineering, condescending, self-centred and simply disgusting. And Spall delivers a wonderfully nasty, evil, spiteful performance. As soon as we meet him, we take an instant dislike to him. We watch on as what we think would be the peak of his vileness turns into just another step on the ladder of being a disgusting human being. Make no mistake, there isn’t any redeeming this man. There isn’t a bone of compassion in his whole body. His determination to keep a hold on his daughter, not allowing her to be herself, to breathe and live for herself is simply evil. We feel nothing but revulsion at this man. And it is all down to the prowess of Timothy Spall. A fine actor showing everyone how it should be done.
OLIVIA COLMAN
Despite the sheer class on show here, the pairing of Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley doesn’t come close to being surpassed. To put it plainly, the two actresses are out of everyone’s league here. Olivia Colman shows again why she is one of Britain’s most loved, revered and favourite actresses. Her performance as Edith is perfect. From the outset, our hearts go out to Edith. The vile letters she receives and the cruel language that is used to describe her remind us of the online troll equivalent we see and hear about every day. The helplessness we feel for her, the feeling of wanting her to rebel against her strict father overwhelms us.
We want her to break free, we want her to have her own life. Her journey is a sad one, one that we want to see get a happy resolution. Olivia Colman is simply superb in her role, being the one innocent woman (in more ways than one) among them all.
JESSIE BUCKLEY
Jessie Buckley as Rose is what we are led to believe is the thorn among the roses. But is she? Is she the culprit, targeting Edith with vile filth on a written page? Or is she completely innocent of what she is accused of? Could it be that she is a hard-working single mother just doing her best for her daughter? Or is she the ultimate villain of the piece? Rose is just as much a sad character as Edith. As an Irish immigrant widow, Rose drinks, smokes and swears like a sailor. But she has a heart of pure gold under the surface. While we feel sadness for Edith, we fall in love with Rose from the start.
Jessie Buckley is simply sublime in her role. For someone who has a tough exterior, Rose is soft-hearted underneath. She also has her own secret, something that is revealed late in the proceedings. And again, this brings us back to the attitudes of the time. What is overlooked and ignored today was taboo back in the 1920s and even beyond that. The layers Jessie Buckley gives Rose make us feel like peeling them back. We know that at any turn, one layer could make our eyes water. But for the most part, one sweet layer leads to another sweet layer, giving the character a fulfilling role and Jessie Buckley the chance to show what a fine, brilliant actress she is.
THE DIRECTION AND THE SCREENPLAY
The direction from Thea Sharrock is superb. The director has shot a film that not only looks and feels good, but manages to depict 1920s Littlehampton perfectly. Her keen eye, directing style and framing of the scenes and her actors show that despite being only the third feature film she has directed (her fourth is due later this year), she has a huge future ahead of her. Awards success cannot be far away on this showing. Maybe by this time next year, based on what she accomplishes here, she will have a mantelpiece full to the brim with awards.
Jonny Sweet’s screenplay is also worthy of awards attention. The way he writes these characters, the traits he gives them, and his attention to even the finest detail regarding the film’s time period is again superb. His dialogue is rich throughout, including the foul language, but his writing is more than that. He fleshes out his characters to the full. Characters who we may simply dismiss or ignore all get their time in the spotlight here. And not one of them is neglected. Sweet’s writing for the film is wonderful, full of cutting wit, and an unexpected dose of the dramatic.
VERDICT
Devilishly wicked, delightfully funny, and with a wonderful heart beneath it all, Wicked Little Letters is a British film to be completely proud of. Its mix of laughs, wit, heartbreaking discoveries and drama make this something that should be a success around the world. As a piece of period filmmaking at times, this leaves much of what’s gone before it in the dust. This is the perfect entertainment to keep us amused, laughing out loud, moved, and cheering by the end credits. Without spoiling things, the culprit delivers a line, a put-down for the ages during proceedings. Not only is it hilariously funny, but it left the audience I saw the film with laughing out loud, clapping their hands and punching the air in sheer delight.
The emotion the film contains is a surprise that we wouldn’t expect. But it all adds up to a mix that gels together to tremendous effect. You can see the love that has gone into this film. Something that is missing from some of the bigger-budgeted movies. The love, devotion, ambition, desire and determination to make a good film shine through. Throw in a cast that gives their all to make the film such a success, a director who is determined to make the best film she can, and a writer who turns in a screenplay worthy of the material and a hugely enjoyable time lies in store. Wicked Little Letters arrives at just the right time. And in every respect, it delivers.
Wicked Little Letters opens in cinemas this Friday, courtesy of StudioCanal.
Trailer Source: StudioCanal UK
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
