Directed by Thea Sharrock
Starring Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Timothy Spall, Gemma Jones, Malachi Kirby, Alisha Weir, Anjana Vasan, Hugh Skinner, and Paul Chahidi

Edward and Victoria.

In a film titled Wicked Little Letters where two of its central characters possess these names, you would be forgiven for believing this to be a period film revealing the heavily classified content of letters penned by Prince Edward and/or Queen Victoria themselves!

Well, spoiler alert, if these or any Royals for that matter, are revealed as the anonymous authors behind the crude vocabulary and insulting profanities shared throughout Wicked Little Letters by its end, that will spell the end of the monarchy as we know it!

Rather, Edward and Victoria here (played by Timothy Spall and Gemma Jones) are the arch conservative parents of the repressed scripture-quoting Edith (Olivia Colman). In this stranger-than-fiction true story set during the 1920s in a post-war English seaside town, Edith is the recipient of numerous blasphemous letters whose content would be enough to make most regular citizens blush. Instead of launching her own investigation into who is writing and sending these to her, Edith and her parents, whom she lives with, decide to go straight to the police. All of them set their sights on the one convenient culprit it just has to be – the potty-mouthed and widowed Irish migrant living right next door, Rose (Jessie Buckley). In Rose’s corner, however, is Police Officer Moss (played by Anjana Vasan), the town’s lone female cop who observes some facts in need of straightening and begins her own investigation into the case.

 

In addition to the reasonable doubt in evidence mounted against Rose, Officer Moss is also further motivated to help her because of the equally poor treatment of women by men they are subject to. Irrespective of where that discriminatory treatment is occurring – being ostracised at the workplace, scorned at by society in general or forced to be a proper ‘lady’ and ‘Christian’ inside the home, and which female character is subject to it, this is a theme that is seamlessly integrated into the story and ultimately plays a pivotal role in proceedings. It is really well executed in that it adds all the depth and heart it needs to without ever diminishing or over-powering this film’s effortless ability to entertain and evoke great cheer. That is despite its chosen style in acting to be uniformly hammy. While I accept its constant presence may be too much for some, it was something I could embrace and felt it had its place. Especially towards the end in an absolute hoot of a scene Olivia Colman nails (I am still laughing days later when reminiscing this particular scene). 

 

Wicked Little Letters is showing in selected cinemas across Australia from March 21st.

Moviedoc thanks Studiocanal and Annette Smith: Ned & Co for the invite to the screening of this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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