By Alex Russell
Author William S. Burroughs once wrote that “language is a virus from outer space.” Disregard the “outer space” part for a minute and consider the implications of that idea (because he’s right). Language, while historically a unique benefit to our species, can, in turn, belittle, betray, and destroy. Language has power. This universal tenet is made deliciously and hilariously apparent in 2023’s “Wicked Little Letters,” directed by Thea Sharrock from a screenplay by Jonny Sweet.
Based on a true story, the film follows a scandalous rash of vulgar, anonymous letters plaguing the genteel, seaside town of Littlehampton, England. In a world readjusting itself after the Great War, with both cultural and social upheaval in the air, Sweet’s story pits the prim and proper Edith Swan — an apparent victim of the titular wicked letters — against Rose Gooding, the fiery, independent Irish émigré accused of penning the swear-swathed missives.
Played with equal parts neurotic splendor, vigorous self-hate, and maddening wide-eyed hypocrisy, Olivia Colman dutifully leans on both the terribly loathsome and genuinely sympathetic elements of Ms. Swan, making for a deliriously contradictory — and splendidly alive — human being.
A homely, God-fearing woman, Swan lives under the domineering roof of her ultra-traditional parents Edward and Victora (Timothy Spall and Emma Jones, respectively), solidifying a resoundingly gray and overbearing trifecta of domestic rigidity. This is the kind of environment in which everyone “knows their place.”
Gooding, who lives just next door with her young daughter and partner, is brought emphatically, vividly, and tenderly to life by Jessie Buckley. Individualistic and unafraid, Gooding is Swan’s polar opposite — the kind of woman Swan could be, if only.
Balancing out her abrasive and “unladylike” behaviors with a deep sense of empathy and parental responsibility, Buckley matches Colman’s artistic excellence nuance for nuance, stroke for stroke. While all of the film’s characters are well-defined in their own unique, small town idiosyncrasies, Gooding is, without a doubt, the story’s crux. She’s the one you root for.
Caught in the middle of this ink-drenched hysteria is the young, soft-spoken, yet determined “woman police officer” Gladys Moss, played by Anjana Vasan. Providing a beguiling, standout performance, Vasan’s Moss is a voice that becomes increasingly important to the proceedings (both figuratively and literally).
Pushed by her conscience and devotion to her late father, also a police officer, Moss soon develops doubts about Gooding’s culpability and embarks on a personal investigation, teaming up with quirky locals Kate (Lolly Adefope), Mabel (Eileen Atkins), and Ann (Joanna Scanlan) to discover the truth behind the letters.
As the anonymous letters reach and shock virtually every resident of sleepy, conservative Littlehampton, Britain as a whole catches the fever and a local scandal soon become a national one. To the movie’s credit, serious social issues are articulated with skill and tact throughout the story, continually reflected in the personal, character-driven plights of the core cast.
Perennially significant issues like women’s suffrage, gender roles, and class disparity are made apparent in a way that positions these elements as already endemic to the world of the story, inextricably interwoven with the film’s overall themes and increasing personal stakes. The filmmakers don’t pander or stoop to platitudes, but they make sure that the bigger picture is seen and considered — particularly through the lives, actions, and decisions of characters like Swan, Gooding, and Moss.
“Wicked Little Letters” is as charming as it is textured. With a reported budget of $12.6 million, the movie looks and, most importantly, feels great, bolstered in part by its dimly-lit interiors and period-specific clothes, some of which are worn and tattered or covered in mud — providing both a sense of time and place and a kind of daily realism that is sometimes missing from this kind of movie.
Shot by “The Banshees of Inisherin” cinematographer Ben Davis, Letters employs earthy tones and drab hues similar to the look and feel of “Banshees,” forming a visage specific to these characters. In fact, a period piece taking place in the 1920s should not look this good or accomplished with a $12.6 million budget, and yet they make it work.
Perhaps one of the film’s greatest victories, though, is the filmmakers’ ability to balance deadpan humor and character drama (with some striking black comedy peppered in for good measure) while never losing focus on story and heart. “Wicked Little Letters” is a true story that is truly well-done.
“Wicked Little Letters” is now playing in theaters.
