[1] The film chronicles the work of Gertrude Bell, an Englishwoman and archeologist, living in Arabia in the early 20th century.

[2] Jay Weissberg of Variety both complimented the effort and questioned the historical omissions that might taint the portrait of their subject: "Getting Swinton on board doing double duty as voiceover actor and executive producer was a wise marketing decision, while the involvement of Thelma Schoonmaker and Kevin Brownlow assured appropriate attention would be given to the artistic and archival sides.

The film also features staged talking heads speaking words sourced from letters and journals.

Viewers attuned to chronology may object to the way footage from different eras is mixed together – the visuals accompanying a 1918 letter are certainly not from 1918 – yet that kind of criticism could be considered pedantic.

The bottom line is that Oelbaum and Krayenbühl have fleshed out a complex, fascinating figure, and after a successful festival career, it's good to see 'Letters' getting its due via limited release.