Australia's National
Prison Newspaper

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Australia's National
Prison Newspaper

ISSUE NO. 12

July 2025

Donate Here

Culture

Film Review of Wicked Little Letters

By

Vincent

Vincent writes from Long Bay Correctional Centre in New South Wales.

StudioCanal

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Set in the period following ‘The Great War’ (World War I), Wicked Little Letters is a comedic re-telling of true events that took place in Littlehampton, England. It follows the tale of a mischievous letter writer with a penchant for obscenities as the wide-spread receipt of profanity-laden letters spark a public uproar, police investigation, and a high-profile court case. The investigation to uncover the culprit and the relationships between the ladies of Littlehampton is captured utilising peppery and tongue-in-cheek dialogue.

A significant theme of the film is gender relations and Christian conservatism, as the story frames the town’s gender dynamics within the Christian belief system and its associated social structures. The defects of patriarchy are revealed through the battles faced by the film’s primary protagonists. Edith (Olivia Colman) is shown to live in complete servitude and subservience to her overbearing father. Rose (Jessie Buckley) is constantly asserting her independence as a single mother while deflecting taunts and digs at her supposed lack of modesty and morality. Power relations in the workplace are seen through the experiences of Gladys (Anjana Vasan) and how she contends with male colleagues and superiors in the police force.

Wicked Little Letters is a fascinating story of how profanities alone disrupted and confronted the public moral consciousness of a small English village. A slight downfall of the film is its almost too-simplistic portrayal of male dominance and conservative naivety. The viewer does need to suspend their critical thought to fully enjoy all that this movie has to offer.

Review:

3.5 jailbirds – “A foxy film!”

Set in the period following ‘The Great War’ (World War I), Wicked Little Letters is a comedic re-telling of true events that took place in Littlehampton, England. It follows the tale of a mischievous letter writer with a penchant for obscenities as the wide-spread receipt of profanity-laden letters spark a public uproar, police investigation, and a high-profile court case. The investigation to uncover the culprit and the relationships between the ladies of Littlehampton is captured utilising peppery and tongue-in-cheek dialogue.

A significant theme of the film is gender relations and Christian conservatism, as the story frames the town’s gender dynamics within the Christian belief system and its associated social structures. The defects of patriarchy are revealed through the battles faced by the film’s primary protagonists. Edith (Olivia Colman) is shown to live in complete servitude and subservience to her overbearing father. Rose (Jessie Buckley) is constantly asserting her independence as a single mother while deflecting taunts and digs at her supposed lack of modesty and morality. Power relations in the workplace are seen through the experiences of Gladys (Anjana Vasan) and how she contends with male colleagues and superiors in the police force.

Wicked Little Letters is a fascinating story of how profanities alone disrupted and confronted the public moral consciousness of a small English village. A slight downfall of the film is its almost too-simplistic portrayal of male dominance and conservative naivety. The viewer does need to suspend their critical thought to fully enjoy all that this movie has to offer.

Review:

3.5 jailbirds – “A foxy film!”

Movie Review of Dream Scenario

Movie Review of Dream Scenario

Movie Review of Dream Scenario

By Vincent
By Vincent

Dream Scenario is a deliciously quirky film by Director, Kristoffer Borgli. The audience is taken on an unexpected journey which travails the terrain between the conscious and subconscious mind.

Culture

ISSUE NO. 10

3 MIN READ

Review of Songs Inside

Review of Songs Inside

Review of Songs Inside

By About Time
By About Time

Songs Inside received the Audience Award at the Adelaide Film Festival and Documentary Australia Award at the Sydney Film Festival. It’s touring around the country.

Culture

ISSUE NO. 13

2 MIN READ

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Reviewed by Mark
Reviewed by Mark

I've read thousands of novels over the last fifty-odd years and not one of them was romance, but while I'm trying new things – like paraplegia and prison – I might as well add in a romance novel to my life experience.

Culture

ISSUE NO. 8

3 MIN READ

About Time Book Club: Archer’s Voice

About Time Book Club: Archer’s Voice

About Time Book Club: Archer’s Voice

By About Time
By About Time

This month, we’re reading Archer’s Voice, featuring our very own interview with the author, Mia Sheridan. Archer’s Voice is a New York Times bestselling romance novel. The novel centres on Archer Hale, a reclusive and mute young man with a troubled past, and Bree Prescott, a woman trying to escape her own traumatic history.

Culture

ISSUE NO. 5

7 MIN READ

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Your Armchair Guide to Summer Sport

By Goal Mouth

An overview of recent sporting events, including horse racing, motor racing, AFLW and cricket.

Culture

ISSUE NO. 17

3 MIN READ

Visions Through the Eyes of a Palestinian Prisoner

By Damien Linnane

Knowing what an incredibly powerful story he had – not to mention unique artworks – after the interview I asked Mohannad if he would be interested in having art exhibited in Australia.

Culture

ISSUE NO. 17

1 MIN READ

Sports Round Up!

By Goal Mouth

A collection of sports news from the past month, including Brisbane possibly being our new sporting capital, Aussie women finding lots of wins in Cricket and loutish crowd behaviour marring the Ryder Cup.

Culture

ISSUE NO. 16

5 MIN READ

Games in Prison: An Interview with Bull Press

By Edith McLellan

We’re Bull Press. We make games – conversational tabletop games – for a prison environment. Most of us have spent time in prison, and we’re based in the USA.

Culture

ISSUE NO. 16

3 MIN READ

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Help us get About Time off the ground. All donations are tax deductible and will be vital in providing an essential resource for people in prison and their loved ones.

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