In the Loop
a review by Jason Wilson
In the Loop (2009)
Directed by Armando Iannucci
Written by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche
Starring Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, Gina McKee, James Gandolfini, Chris Addison and David Rasche
Is war unforeseeable? The use of that word in particular to describe conflict is what sets In the Loop off into the chaotic stratosphere where it remains for the entire runtime. It brushes with confusion, idiocy and mounds of profanity to produce one of the best comedies in cinema of recent memory.
So I ask again, is war unforeseeable? What exactly would that statement mean? Are there no warning signs or potential tip offs? Is war simply a random collision of conflicting ideas like a barroom brawl on an astronomically larger scale? And if it isn’t unforeseeable, does that mean it is…foreseeable?
While a comedy, first and foremost must achieve laughs as far as its classification within genre is concerned, when a comedy actually has something to say or at least attempts to shine a light on a potential societal problem, it can become more than a comedy.
American Beauty prodded at the obsession with materialism with a mix of humour and a bleak outlook on suburban life. Wes Anderson has made a career of obsessing over broken familial relationships with a scathing dry wit. So here’s a war movie that instead of focusing on the body count and the gore on the front lines, the filmmakers hone in on the sheer absurdity found within the bureaucratic sphere. There is a fantastic bit that goes from the beginning to the end of the film about a government report outlining the pros and cons of war while the government is trying to decide to go to war. The document has more cons and if the report were to be leaked it would cause a bit of a roadblock when it came to entering the war. Now, no one is openly for going to war but any time the negativity is expressed it is obvious that war is the preferred outcome to the higher ups.
Along with the political satire and the annihilation of the bureaucratic process (something I never get sick of seeing), In the Loop provides a Lost In Translation element between two english speaking nations. In many aspects both sides are saying the same thing but are never on the same page. It’s dry and subtle mixed in with creative combinations of vulgarities. The comedy somehow uses the best of both worlds and it achieves balance.
It is an ensemble piece and although Peter Capaldi commands the camera more than anyone else, his Malcolm Tucker is not the lead. He is a loud, angry Scot who muscles everyone around thriving on the stammering weak who surround him. In fact, the two prominent Scottish characters are portrayed in the same way while the English are quiet and reserved attempting to avoid conflict at all costs while still heading into a war.
The Americans then are essentially shown as compulsive liars, opportunists and hypochondriacs. Not only to the Brits but to one another. From the start of the movie, everyone is at each other’s throats trying to calm down the mistake of one cabinet minister referring to a war as unforeseeable while the poor bastard is torn back and forth as all he ever wanted to do as a politician was help people. In the end, he can’t even keep a wall from falling down.
In the Loop is sharp and moves along at a great pace. Iannucci and company have crafted a smart observation at the vanity and overall clusterfuck involved with managing countries in war times and it’s a shame it hasn’t gotten more press despite wall to wall great reviews. The laughs are subtle most of the time resulting in more of an inward hilarity with occasional moments where the audience should be unable to hold it in. At the very least, you should get a chuckle at Malcolm’s creative combos of insults.
