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It may sell magazines and boost cable news channel ratings, but the real-life road to war has never been as riotously entertaining as the fictional one in writer/director Armando Iannucci’s political comedy, In the Loop.
The British Prime Minister and the U. S. President have been batting around the idea of going to war in the Middle East. It’s all rather hush-hush—wouldn’t want to bother the citizens with such matters, of course—but the political battle lines are already being drawn. Inept British Minister of International Development Simon Foster (Tom Hollander), for instance, thinks that war is a horrible idea. But when he announces in an interview that “war is unforeseeable,” he sets in motion a tangled and absolutely hilarious series of events.
After a severe verbal lashing by the Prime Minister’s top communications guy, Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi), Foster then tries to backpedal with a statement that “to walk the road of peace, sometimes we need to be ready to climb the mountain of conflict.” With the world on the brink of war, Foster heads to Washington to take part in some very important meetings—and the rest is a fast-talking, foul-mouthed maze of Brits and Yanks, secret committees, leaks, lies, and tampered documents, all leading up to the big UN vote.
Though it has a rather stripped-down, documentary-style feel—without the usual Hollywood bells and whistles—this cheeky British comedy isn’t missing a thing…except, perhaps, a translator (or maybe some really good subtitles). The brilliantly snappy dialogue speeds along—a frantic flurry of cursing, bickering, and fast-flying references to everything from current world events to Harry Potter and The Sound of Music. It all races so quickly, in fact, that you’re practically guaranteed to miss most of it on your first viewing—because trying to catch all of the comedic little gems in this movie is like trying to catch every last drop of a hurricane. Still, even if you catch just a third of the quips—while the others go zinging by—you’ll have more than enough to keep you laughing from beginning to end. And when it’s all over, you’ll be a bit puzzled, but you’ll also be eager to give it another go.
While the writing is sharp and clever, though, it wouldn’t be as watchable without the talented cast members—especially on the British side—who make the rapid, expletive-laced exchanges seem completely natural. Capaldi, especially, is absolutely unforgettable in his performance as bold and brash Malcolm. Of course, Capaldi has had plenty of experience with his role, since he also plays Malcolm on Iannucci’s BBC series, The Thick of It—but all that practice has certainly paid off. His character makes the movie; he’s loud and coarse and just plain mean, but he’s so creative with his insults that you’ll love to hate him.
With its lightning-quick and shockingly hilarious dialogue and its spectacular cast, In the Loop is well worth the trip to your local indie theater (or, if you don’t have a local indie theater, keep an eye out for the DVD release). Just be sure to block out plenty of viewing time—because after you see it once, you’ll want to re-watch it right away.
