Cinematographer Ben Davis captures the (somewhat) quiet small town Sussex life without drawing attention to the town itself. The rows of houses and shops are blended into the frame, as if they were another character; the drab interiors speaking to the economic realities of the time. In the depiction of a small English working class community, Davis’ visuals deserve mention in the same breath as David Leland’s 1987 charmer, Wish You Were Here or many of Mike Leigh’s seriocomic pictures.

Sweet’s screenplay doesn’t always find the right balance of humor and drama, while once or twice playing too close to the farcical. Some nice realistic comedy comes out of Buckley’s reactions to her Littlehampton neighbors, as she refuses to suffer fools nor does she allow her Irish heritage to be slandered. Coleman is the source of a few smiles due to Edith’s facial expressions when trying to hide the wilder person she wishes to be.

The drama of the picture never fails to work. Some painfully heartbreaking scenes come courtesy of Timothy Spall. His domineering father/husband is a man with next to no redeemable qualities, but the actor plays it realistically, steering clear of caricature. While this man is an at-home tyrant and a bigot, Spall manages to generate a bit of feeling towards his plight during one particular arc; his carefully honest approach making the role a dramatic highlight.

The film’s comedic/dramatic balance is more shaky when following the story of Officer Gladys Moss. Anjana Vasan is quite good in the role and her moments outside of the police station are interestingly written. When inside her place of employment, director Sharrock tries hard to combine social commentary on women in the workplace with a stiff-upper-lip silliness in the form of Constable Papperwick (Hugh Skinner) and Chief Constable Spedding (Paul Chahidi); succeeding at the former and not in the Papperwick character, whose design seems to be from another film.

Make no mistake, this is no silly romp with goofy English “bitties”. Prejudice and injustice are explored rather well. There are sharp statements made regarding the perception of women and their assumed “place” in early society; the director weaving them into the narrative with ease.

Through the performances of its perfect cast and the combined style of Jonny Sweet’s script and director Thea Sharrock’s gentle hand, Wicked Little Letters is an engaging story and a good little film.

Wicked Little Letters

Written by Jonny Sweet

Directed by Thea Sharrock

Starring Olivia Coleman, Jessie Buckley, Timothy Spall, Anjana Vasan, Gemma Jones, Hugh Skinner, Paul Chahidi, Alisha Weir, Eileen Atkins, Joanna Scanlan, Lilly Adefope, Malachi Kirby

R, 100 Minutes, Sony Pictures Classics, Film 4, Blueprint Pictures