Plot Incompetent minister Simon Foster (Hollander) is sent to Washington after making contradictory comments about possible war in the Middle East.
Review
As cinematic subgenres go, political satire doesn’t really rival the superhero blockbuster. While Soderbergh and Clooney take politics straight (Traffic, Syriana, HBO show K Street), and the likes of David Fincher and Christopher Nolan tangentially explore the perils of bureaucracy and procedure, Hollywood generally thinks of ‘D. C.’ as referring to comic books rather than Washington.
Why? First, politics is dull — or believed to be dull by people who don’t really know anything about politics. Second, politics is transitory — or believed to be transitory by people who don’t really know anything about politics. So, it’s considered the preserve of television, which can react more-or-less instantly to breaking news.
Now, strolling into the big-screen political desert like an ice-cream merchant in the Sahara comes Armando Iannucci — a man to whom statues should already be erected, for co-creating seminal news satire The Day Today (buy it). And, yes, his feature debut has its roots in television, sharing some characters and a tone with his BAFTA-winning series, The Thick Of It. But In The Loop doesn’t feel boxed in, in terms of subject-matter, style or current affairs. It doesn’t matter if you’ve seen the show, or are particularly politically in the know: most of us have met people like the bullies, opportunists and passive-aggressive backstabbers on display here.
The set-up shadows, loosely, the drive for the invasion of Iraq, with various avatars for real-life politicos. So, you have Peter Capaldi as a foul-mouthed Scottish spin doctor reminiscent of Alastair Campbell, James Gandolfini as a peace-pushing general who bears relation to Colin Powell, and David Rasche as a hideous conflation of former Secretary Of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Republican hawk John Bolton. There’s also a dodgy dossier, flip-flopping at the United Nations and Tom Hollander as the hapless minister — an avatar for anyone in New Labour — whose gibbering pronouncements about potential war in the Middle East are latched onto by vying political factions.
Hollander is either utterly brilliant or a complete moron, such is his credibility as a man so far out of his depth he needs armbands. Gina McKee is delightfully sardonic as his civil service handler, and Chris Addison makes for a marvellous Everyman, undone by his amoral aspirations. Then there’s Capaldi, of course, ripping through the profanity-strewn script — and a good deal of improvisation, feeding the intimate, documentary style — with rare relish.
Iraq isn’t named, because Iannucci is savvy enough to understand the role of idiocy, ambition and fundamentalism in any conflict, in any age. Politics isn’t transitory, it’s timeless. And so is great satire. While the rat-tat-tat gag-rate dips a little in the final third — with an angry constituent subplot that proves necessary but never feels essential — In The Loop is still an endlessly quotable, worryingly authentic exploration of how things get done.
Verdict Spinal Tap meets Strangelove. A satirical demolition of Whitehall and Washington: politically astute, hilarious and terrifyingly real.
Get this review and thousands more on on your iPhone, download the Empire Movie Guide now!
Write Your Review
To submit your own review and rating please login or register.
Advertisement
Your Reviews
Average user rating for In The Loop
Fucking Hilarious
My dad took me and my sisters to this movie tonight, and we were the only people in a small theatre of about 20 who laughed at the line "I will holepunch your face!" This movie has more great quotes than any movie since Anchorman. Truly funny. Capaldi and Hollander stand out as the funniest for different reasons. Higgins doesn't get enough screentime to shine even with some of the best moments. Like psychotic scottish Francis Urquharts they deal with political problems in an hilarious ... Read More
Armando Lannuci...give the man a best original screenplay award Empire or Bafta because the oscars wont. This film is almost like a dictionary of snappy, swear filled and wonderfully inventive insults with Peter Capaldi delivering them in a sheer beautiful performance of rage, fury and laughs. In the Loop is perhaps the best british film of the year and undeniably the funniest british film of the year. Every performance and line is hilarious and the steve coogan cameo was filled with laughs. Up ... Read More
Hands down the funniest film of 2009. Best Line : "Y'know, I've come across a lot of psychos, but none as fucking boring as you. You are a real boring fuck. Sorry, sorry, I know you disapprove of swearing so I'll sort that out. You are a boring F, star, star, CUNT!". Peter Capaldi is THE MAN. Simple as that. ... Read More
Not at all. They change all the characters (except Malcolm and Jamie) so you don't even need to have seen The Thick of It. You just need to know that you get politicians, and civil servants and political operators. ... Read More
L: three1ne
I caught a few eps of In The Thick of It. Really enjoyed it although I dont really have any concept of whos who in government and couldnt really care less for it. Do you need to appreciate the ins and outs of the government to understand this film?
ah, knowing the events and players that were around in the lead up to the Iraq war would add a 'layer' to the jokes, but it can be enjoyed as it is. ... Read More
I caught a few eps of In The Thick of It. Really enjoyed it although I dont really have any concept of whos who in government and couldnt really care less for it. Do you need to appreciate the ins and outs of the government to understand this film? ... Read More
Went into it a tad concerned of how it would transfer to screen, but coming from the genius that is Armando Ianucci I shouldn't of worried. Saw it at Cineworld tonight and like it's little brother The Thick of It it's f**King fantastic. Haven't laughed at a film that much in a long long time. Capaldi & Jamie are obvious standouts but the Yanks side also did a good job of bridging the American angle and massive kudos to Hollander. Was a little concerned how it would work with the departure o... Read More
Love the subtle difference between the American and British characters. An American version of a rant involves knocking over a paper waste basket and a mild swear word. In the UK it is destroying a fax machine and dropping every swear word possible into a single sentence. ... Read More
Classic
Excellent
Good
Fair
Tragic
){kind=small}
