Film Pick of the Week: Wicked Little Letters - review by Yvette Huddleston

Most of the mysterious writer’s ire seemed to have been directed towards God-fearing middle-aged spinster Edith Swan (here played by Olivia Colman). Directed by Thea Sharrock with a script by comedian Jonny Sweet, this pacy – and, be warned, very sweary, comedy – benefits from a top-notch cast alongside the always reliably excellent Colman. As Miss Swan she is pitted against feisty single mother Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley) recently arrived from Ireland with her young daughter after the death of her husband who was killed in the First World War.

Edith lives a quiet life with her gentle mother Victoria (Gemma Jones) and domineering father Edward (Timothy Spall) and when Rose first moves in next door, she befriends her. Rose is her complete opposite – outspoken, wild, fun-loving and irreligious – and Edith enjoys vicarious thrills observing her friend’s appetite for life. After they fall out over a misunderstanding, Swan begins receiving the letters and Rose is the prime suspect. The local police arrest her, she doesn’t have the money to pay bail and she is remanded in custody, leaving her daughter in the care of her partner Bill (Malachi Kirby).

Bright police constable Gladys Ross (Anjana Vasan) believes that Rose is not actually the letter writer and suggests to her misogynist superior Chief Constable Spedding (Paul Chahidi) that they should be looking elsewhere for the culprit. But her legitimate doubts are dismissed and she is told to focus on the kind of things that women police officers are more suited to. However, Gladys isn’t the kind of woman to be deterred and she begins her own investigations with the help of local women Kate (Lolly Adefope), Mabel (Eileen Atkins) and Ann (Joanna Scanlan), all acquaintances of Edith’s – they play bridge together – who are sympathetic to Rose’s plight. Meanwhile Edith seems to be very much enjoying all the attention she is getting in the local and national press, despite being admonished by her father for such prideful behaviour.

The repeated joke of prim characters using bad language does begin to wear a little thin after a while but this is an entertaining comic mystery that benefits greatly from such a distinguished and capable cast.