This dramatic mystery comedy occurs in a coastal village in 1920s England, where a bizarre and dark scandal is witnessed.
Based on an actual event as odd as fiction, WICKED LITTLE LETTERS centers on two neighbors, Edith Swan (Olivia Colman), a profoundly conservative resident, and Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley), a raucous Irish immigrant.
Foul-mouthed Rose is accused of the crime when nasty letters containing inadvertently funny profanities arrive for Edith and the other inhabitants. The anonymous letters spark a nationwide outcry, and a trial follows.
But as the women of the village, led by Anjana Vasan’s portrayal of Police Officer Gladys Moss, start looking into the incident themselves, they begin to think that something is wrong and Rose might not be the real culprit after all.
The film’s welcoming of simplicity is what makes it so delightful. Relying less on a complex storyline and more on its grounding as an actual event, the narrative lets the hilarious performances and likable characters shine. “Wicked Little Letters” provides a touching and humorous experience for those looking for it, but critics looking for a convoluted plot may be disappointed.
Exclusive CWEB Critic Review by Tony Medley
100 minutes
R
It’s hard to believe when you watch this, but it actually occurred in a little English village called Littlehampton, and it did cause a national sensation. It’s the story of two neighbors, Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). Edith and others start receiving profane offensive (indeed, wicked) letters and Rose gets blamed for them.
Rose is a newcomer to the village and lives with her daughter Nancy (Alisha Weir) and boyfriend Bill (Malachi Kirby) next door to Edith. Rose is raucous with a truly nasty mouth. Edith, on the other hand, is prudish, the daughter of a tyrannical puritanical father, Edward (Timothy Spall) with whom she lives. The only person who comes to Rose’s defense is Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan), who is, herself, going through terrible discrimination, being the first female police officer in history in Sussex.
Brilliantly written (Jonny Sweet) and directed (Thea Sharrock), Rose’s defiant attitude provides much of the comedic parts of the movie. I am a big admirer of all three stars, Colman, Buckley, and Spall, and all give sparkling performances.
This is clearly a feminist movie because all the male characters are presented in a negative light. The police are all male, biased and sexist, and the protagonists are all female. In fact, with the possible exception of Bill, there is not one male character who is not a heavy.
I downgrade this somewhat due to the offensive Woke presentism used in the casting of one character. This occurred in the 1920s but one of the judges in the trial is black. In fact, there was never a black circuit judge in England until Barbara Menshah was appointed in 2005, more than 80 years after these events take place. Historical movies should reflect things as they were in the time when the events take place.
It’s fine to have diversity in casting, but it’s not fine when the casting ignores the actualities of the time and place of the film. Such castings are jarring. I suppose if Hollywood were to remake Patton, we might expect the General to be played by Jennifer Lawrence or maybe Kimura Takuya or Jamie Foxx. The people who make these foolish political decisions are agitpropping, and these choices degrade what is otherwise an exceptional film.
Tony Medley is a columnist, and MPAA-accredited film critic His reviews are published in The Larchmont Chronicle, Telicom Magazine, The Tolucan Times, CWEB.com, robinhoodnews.com, on Rottentomatoes.com, the Movie Review Query Engine, and at www.tonymedley.com. Tony Medley holds the rank of Silver life Master, is an American Contract Bridge League Club Director, and has won regional and sectional titles. An attorney, he received his B.S. from UCLA, where he was sports editor of UCLA’s Daily Bruin, and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Cast: Olivia Colman as Edith Swan
Jessie Buckley as Rose Gooding
Anjana Vasan as PC Gladys Moss
Malachi Kirby as Bill
Timothy Spall as Edward Swan
Joanna Scanlan as Ann
Gemma Jones as Victoria Swan
Lolly Adefope as Kate
Eileen Atkins as Mabel
Alisha Weir as Nancy Gooding, Rose’s daughter
Hugh Skinner as Constable Papperwick
Richard Goulding as Mr. Scales
Jason Watkins as Mr. Treading
Distributed by StudioCanal
March 29, 2024
Running time 100 minutes
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