Wicked Little Letters

"Wicked Little Letters," a new film directed by Thea Sharrock with a very funny script by Jonny Sweet, is based on a tempest-in-a-teapot news story from 1918-1920, a local scandal which made national headlines in England. Rose Gooding, an Irish woman with a small daughter, moved to the small seaside community of Littlehampton, and struck up a friendship with her next-door neighbor, Edith Swan, a middle-aged woman living with her parents. Soon, Edith began receiving anonymous letters, filled with obscene language, calling her all sorts of horrible names. For reasons unknown (although the film makes some very astute guesses), Edith accused Rose. Rose was Irish, with a mysteriously absent husband, and so the community was only too eager to believe Edith. There was a trial, and Rose ended up doing multiple jail stints, one involving hard labor. But then a female police officer (the only one in Littlehampton at the time) started her own investigation. She had doubts. Rose was eventually released, cleared of all charges. Such a story, with all its gossip and intrigue, silliness and absurdities, could only be a true one.

Olivia Colman plays Edith, a woman still cowering under the control of her parents (Timothy Spall and Gemma Jones). They are Christian, although they don't seem very happy about it. Poor Edith is forced to write Bible verses over and over when she does something her father doesn't like. Everything changes when the wild free-spirited Rose (Jessie Buckley) moves next door. Rose's husband died in the recently ended war, and she now has a Black live-in boyfriend (Malachi Kirby), and a young daughter (Alisha Weir). Rose does not hang her head in shame. On the contrary. She swears like a sailor, drinks with men in the pub, and has sex loud enough for the neighbors (i.e. Edith) to hear. The anti-Irish feeling is everywhere in the film. The Easter Rising was just a couple years prior, and Rose fits the negative Irish stereotypes (you'll notice the townspeople conveniently ignore that Rose fits the positive stereotypes as well). Edith is shocked by Rose, but you can see her being thrilled, too. What would it be like to just ... not give a damn?

What's really interesting is the film’s interest in the nasty impulses behind many bullying campaigns, the pettiness, the sheer silliness and what-is-the-point-ness of it all. It's impossible to avoid the feeling that the finger was pointed at Rose Gooding because she committed the unforgivable sin of enjoying her life. How dare she?

- Sheila O’Malley, rogerebert.com