‘In The Loop’ Review: The Funny Business of Words and War

Photo Credit: IFC Films

by Guest Contributor Brian Robinson

There is a rare, special moment in movies that I have discussed with some friends. That’s when you are watching a movie that has hit a peak of words, visuals, execution,  and acting; when it all comes together into that perfect mix that reminds you why you love movies. When it occurs, I get what I have described as a Permagrin where I involuntarily grin like a fool. It’s really satisfying when it happens even once in a movie (see  ‘Dangerous Liaisons,’  ‘Silence of the Lambs,’ or  ‘Seven’ to see what I mean) and almost unbelievable when it happens twice. It happened about four times during  ‘In the Loop,’ and I may have UNDERcounted.

‘In the Loop’ is a British comedy about the Iraq War. Although Iraq is never mentioned. Nor are George Bush, Saddam Hussein, or Tony Blair. There are no scenes of war, carnage, mayhem or torture. But, it’s all part of the mix. It’s the darkest, wittiest, most propulsive comedy I have seen since re-watching  ‘Dr Strangelove’ a couple of years ago. But, with the amount of dialogue thrown around on screen here, it makes that film look like as verbally driven as a silent picture.

To provide a synopsis, if I can, the movie concerns the British Secretary of State for International Development Simon Foster (Tom Hollander) who, in his typically thick-tongued manner, gives the impression during a BBC interview that Britain finds the prospect of upcoming war “unforeseeable,” which directly opposes the rhetoric of the (unnamed) British Prime Minister. And believe me when I say, his  ‘misspoken’ comments catch the immediate attention of the PM’s Communications Chief Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi), who is one of the foulest mouthed men in the UK, if not the Western world and entire Northern hemisphere (he is only rivaled by one of his subordinates). The Communications Chief descends on him to take back his comments publicly, which only give Simon another opportunity to push his foot further into his mouth. And, by now, the American Hawks represented by Linton Barwick (David Rashce) and Doves by Karen Clarke (Mimi Kennedy) in the US government want to use Simon’s various misstatements to justify what ever part of it they can for their own propaganda for, or against, the war. Even those who fence sit like Lt. Gen. George Miller (James Gandolfini, who is largely successful burying the image of Tony Soprano, save for one intense moment of confrontation where Tony would have been totally at home) have an agenda for using Simon’s mangled statements. Suffice it to say, it’s all a great foundation for some really ingenious and smart comedy.

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Photo Credit: IFC Films

One of the first things I noticed about this movie is that there were five writers. This usually indicates the stink of failure for most movies. Outside of The Marx Brothers and Monty Python (both of which definitely are a precursor to the kind of dialogue in this film) there are very few scripts that seem to benefit from a number of different minds;  movies/comedies that spring from a singular or duo of minds seem to work well (Farrelly Brothers, Coen Brothers), but more cooks in the kitchen than that and fate is being tested. But, in this case, the movie is a sister act of sorts to a British TV show called  ‘The Thick of Things,’ which is not available to the the US yet. It’s apparent that these writers have all worked together on that successful show as a group and are supremely successful at  making it work. I can’t recall a better original script since  ‘The Usual Suspects’ or  ‘Fargo,’ and this is on the basis of dialogue alone. I have read in one source that the original script was around 240 pages, which equates to about a four hour movie, and it was primarily dialogue! (Although, to be fair, according to Chris Addison who played Simon’s (mis) handler, Toby Wright, there was a fair amount of improvised dialogue that was added to the script as well).

One thing I should stress, though, is that like any great satire, it’s not a one-note screed against its apparent target. On the surface, it would be easy to describe this as an anti-war film, but in truth it’s a film about who runs our government and our collective self-delusion that they are somehow smarter or more capable than we, the electorate. In a sense, the target is all of us who think our job as citizens/voters stops when we leave the voting booth. Our job as citizens is not over when we send our representatives to congress/the White House/parliament/10 Downing Street. This film implores us to pay attention to what those we elect/hire do once we put them into the powerful positions. But, really, for most of the people we choose, it’s another day at the backstabbing, ladder-climbing and opportunistic office.

**

Check out the trailer for the movie here.

I do implore you to start with the trailer to see if it’s up your alley. Otherwise, you should go to this movie without hearing too many of its brilliant lines beforehand…though, there are so many to enjoy in the actual film, I don’t know if that’s possible.