Overview
When deeply conservative English local Edith Swan and fellow residents begin to receive wicked letters full of unintentionally hilarious profanities, her rowdy, foul-mouthed, Irish migrant neighbor Rose Gooding 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—begin to investigate the crime themselves, they suspect something is amiss and Rose may not be the culprit after all.
Based upon a true story that shook the British decency in the 1920s, Wicked Little Letters focuses on neighbours Edith Swan (Olivia Coleman) and Rose Gooding (Jesse Buckley) in the quiet and reserved seaside town of Littlehampton. Edith is prim and proper, and is quite shocked when the boisterous and foul mouthed Rose moves in next door – as, indeed, are many in the community. Initially striking up a curious friendship, things turn sour when Edith begins receiving obscene letters commenting on her life and appearance. With the finger of suspicion pointed firmly at Rose, the friendship totally breaks down and an investigation from the police puts Rose’s freedom and custody of her daughter at risk. However, whilst most of the police force firmly believe that Rose is the guilty party, the sole female officer PC Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) has doubts, and looks to uncover who the real culprit is.
The trailers and publicity for this touted it as being a riotous comedy of manners, but the end result is something very different. Yes, there are laughs to be had, either from the reading of the foul letters, or the comedic incompetence of the police force, but the film is also quite a strong drama that explores a variety of themes. Being set in the 20s, in a post war era when women were finding the freedom and equality that the wartime seemed to grant them was being stripped away again to make them second-class citizens to the male population, the film explores these social and sexual dynamics in quite a smart way. From Edith’s overbearing and controlling father, Edward (Timothy Spall on magnificent form), to the sneeringly undermining way that the male police force look down on PC Moss, through to the hypocrisy shown in reactions to Rose’s nature from men who are just as outspoken and vulgar, it is in this aspect that the film grows to be something more than the witty comedy it was pitched as. Class divides are broached, gender stereotypes are challenged, all using this conflict between Edith and Rose as the connective tissue.
There’s a great line-up of British cast throughout, and all lend fine performances to allow the story to never feel drawn out. Coleman is, as ever, a strong central performer, but it is through Buckley that we get some genuine heart and depth, with Rose’s background being explored, and her family life being put under threat. Yes, the mystery that unravels isn’t all that clever, but thanks to the marvelous cast it doesn’t become an issue – you stop actually caring about the ‘whodunnit’ aspect, and more start to care about the bonds of family and friendship that are being eroded throughout.
A pleasantly diverting British comedy drama that draws from a little known true story to deliver an entertaining, albeit forgettable, experience.