Wicked Little Letters review: A perverse twist on your typical period comedy
Despite a patchy script, the first-rate cast including Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley ensure the film is an enjoyable farce.
Inspired by a real-life scandal that rocked Britain in the 1920s, Wicked Little Letters stars Jessie Buckley and Olivia Colman in a black comedy that promises to turn the air blue and make your Aunt Nellie blush.
Scripted by Jonny Sweet, the film takes us to Littlehampton, the picturesque English coastal town where you’d expect everyone to be genteel and lovely. Except that behind the net curtains, residents are receiving the eponymous missives – insulting, anonymously written foul-mouthed tirades with more f-bombs than an Irvine Welsh novel.
Who is responsible for this shocking epistolary abuse forms the backbone of the film by Thea Sharrock, the British director who previously turned Jojo Moyes's swoon-inducing Me Before You into a mega-hit.
The number one suspect is Rose (Buckley), an outspoken Irish immigrant and single mother whose arrival in the town has immediately stirred up suspicion from the residents, prejudices already stoked by the ongoing Irish War of Independence.
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Attributing blame is her busy-body neighbour Edith Swan (Colman), who lives with her parents (Timothy Spall and Gemma Jones). While this spinster initially attempts to befriend Rose, the Irish’s mother’s free-spirited ways are at odds with Edith’s existence in a strict household, run by her brutal father’s iron hand.
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As the accusations fly, Rose faces jail time, with the hapless coppers (Hugh Skinner, Paul Chahidi) seemingly unable to crack the case.
Only Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan), Sussex’s first female police officer, has the smarts to think outside the box, believing Rose to be free of guilt. While the male contingent all but ignore her protestations, Gladys continues her own investigations. Credit is due to Vasan, who delivers one of the film’s better performances, both comic and earnest, as the Sherlock-like sleuth who must battle with the prejudices of the patriarchy.
At the forefront, Buckley and Colman are back together after co-starring in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Lost Daughter. In truth, this reunion isn’t anywhere near as successful, though both actors turn in credible work. The flame-haired Buckley embodies her character’s rabble-rousing mannerisms with aplomb, while Colman’s tight-lipped prude is fun to watch. And for anyone who likes reams of swearing, this is the film for you. It’s the sort of movie that makes Viz comics look like the Bible.
It also has a fine British supporting cast, including Jason Watkins, Joanna Scanlan and Eileen Atkins, all of whom bring a distinct sense of class to the proceedings. Where it trips up, however, is in its uneven approach to the tone, with Sharrock unable to find an even keel. The X-rated language is obviously fundamental to the piece, but it rather jars with the film’s more serious side, from dealing with issues of prejudice to allusions to the Suffragette movement.
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Moreover, the film descends into farce, as Gladys and others look to expose the phantom letter writer. It’s hardly sophisticated stuff, especially given much of the humour twists on the barrage of profane insults, although the film does boast some relevance to contemporary times. Not only does it parallel the keyboard warriors of the moment, who hide behind screens to hurl insults, it also deals with religious fundamentalism and gender-based issues.
While Ben Davis's cinematography captures the beauty of Sussex without ever appearing too chocolate-box, the result is just mildly distracting – mainly thanks to the first-rate cast, who work overtime to deal with the script’s patchy nature. A film that will appeal to those who enjoy a perverse twist on your typical period comedy, it’s just a pity it lacks consistency. A little less frantic in the final third would’ve been most welcome.
Wicked Little Letters comes to cinemas on Friday 23rd February. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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