Wicked Little Letters
A 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a dark and absurd scandal in this riotous mystery comedy. Based on a stranger than fiction true story, the film follows two neighbours: deeply conservative local Edith Swan and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding. When Edith and 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 - begin to investigate the crime themselves, they suspect that something is amiss, and Rose may not be the culprit after all.
- Released:
- Runtime: 101 minutes
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Stars: Jessie Buckley, Olivia Colman, Anjana Vasan, Timothy Spall, Joanna Scanlan, Malachi Kirby, Lolly Adefope, Eileen Atkins, Alisha Weir, Gemma Jones, Hugh Skinner, Grant Crookes, Paul Chahidi, Jonny Sweet, Tim Key, Jason Watkins, Cyril Nri, Richard Goulding, Tim McMullan
- Director: Thea Sharrock
Comments
- Njs2016 - 29 June 2024
A good movie in parts. Jessie Buckley is outstanding
I wasn't sure what to make of this movie, it's good in parts, it has two very good central performances from Olivia Coleman and Jessie Buckley but suffers from a really uneven tone.
The tone problems all stem from the direction of the piece. Its great to see such a diverse cast, but that diversity of casting does a historical injustice to Karpal Kaur Sandhu who was the first serving Asian woman in the police, her story is truly heroic and tragic, and ignoring any racial tension in 1920's Britain is also anachronistic and fantastical. Those moments give the work an uneven tone, and the longer the movie goes on the more the direction lurches from a fun tone it something closer to what the movie can be.
The outstanding moments in this film come from Jessie Buckley, who like Maggie Smith in her younger years bursts onto the screen with energy and charisma. Olivia Coleman is always full of nuance and depth - those two central performances carry the movie. Anjana Vasan is charming and full of comic energy she is required to carry a part which has some very odd writing and character development. She does it like a star.
A very odd movie in some ways but worth you time if you can get over the anachronisms and the uneven tone. - mjornb - 2 June 2024
Wicked Little Letters: A Gateway to Freedom
The trailer of the movie leads you to believe that Wicked Little Letters is some sort of whimsical comedy which is not really accurate. There are comedic elements but I think the movie is also a deeply tragic story of what might happen when you don't live the life you want and never speak your mind. While the movie wasn't the greatest masterpiece of the cinematic history, it was still entertaining and also gives something to think about. The ending was especially good; finally Edith was able to start her own life, even if it meant being a convict. The movie also includes important themes of gender equality in historical perspective.
