In the Loop (2009)

A political satire about a group of skeptical American and British operatives attempting to prevent a war between two countries.

Director:

Armando Iannucci

Writers:

Jesse Armstrong (screenplay), Simon Blackwell (screenplay)

Stars:

Tom Hollander, Peter Capaldi, James Gandolfini

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 16 wins & 42 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Capaldi	...	Malcolm Tucker
Harry Hadden-Paton	...	Civil Servant
Samantha Harrington	...	Malcolm's Secretary
Gina McKee	...	Judy Molloy
Tom Hollander	...	Simon Foster
Olivia Poulet	...	Suzy
Chris Addison	...	Toby Wright
James Smith	...	Michael Rodgers
Zach Woods	...	Chad
Mimi Kennedy	...	Karen Clark
Anna Chlumsky	...	Liza Weld
Enzo Cilenti	...	Bob Adriano
Lucinda Raikes	...	Reporter
James Doherty	...	Reporter
David Rasche	...	Linton Barwick

Storyline

The US President and UK Prime Minister fancy a war. But not everyone agrees that war is a good thing. The US General Miller doesn't think so and neither does the British Secretary of State for International Development, Simon Foster. But, after Simon accidentally backs military action on TV, he suddenly has a lot of friends in Washington, DC. If Simon can get in with the right DC people, if his entourage of one can sleep with the right intern, and if they can both stop the Prime Minister's chief spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker rigging the vote at the UN, they can halt the war. If they don't... well, they can always sack their Director of Communications Judy, who they never liked anyway and who's back home dealing with voters with blocked drains and a man who's angry about a collapsing wall.

---

Plot Keywords:

politics | politician | satire | smashing fax machine | committee | 

---

Taglines:

No You F****** Can't

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Despite being based on Armando Iannucci's TV show The Thick of It (2005), sharing the hand-held camera movements and pervasive bad language of it, and even starring many of the TV series' regular cast, only three of the characters in the film are the same as in the TV show: Malcolm Tucker, Jamie McDonald, and Sam, Malcolm's PA.

---

Goofs

Simon and Toby land in DC at what seems to be the afternoon (it is still full daylight, there are no long shadows and they proceed to the hotel and discuss what they'll do that evening). They phone Judy in London to arrange transport for them. She is woken by the call in what she says is the middle of the night. But DC is only 5 hours behind London, so it should be no later than mid-evening there.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Malcolm Tucker: Good morning, my little chicks and cocks.

---

Crazy Credits

The film's final credits roll over a long shot of the main office. At the very end, Malcolm Tucker comes out, looks at the TV and asks, "Who let this woman out with her fucking hair like this?! On national television?! Looks like she stuck her finger in a fucking electrical socket..." before walking away.

---

Connections

References Bugsy Malone (1976)

---

Soundtracks

Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied BWV 225
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by The Scholars Baroque Ensemble
Licensed courtesy of Naxos Rights International Ltd.

User Reviews

Unforseeable

Greetings again from the darkness. A spin-off of the British series The Thick of it, this film comes across as an odd mixture of Dr Strangelove, Spinal Tap, The Office ... think Christopher Guest remakes The West Wing. There are some incredibly funny lines and therein lies the films only problem.

What prevents the film from being truly great is that the comedy lines are so well written (and acted) that the story itself is shoved aside. Kind of a shame because I love the basis for the story. Combining the politics of both the U.S. and England and weaving their process and decision making into one film ... and then backdropping the decision on whether to go to war, is ingenious and fascinating. But as I said, the story takes a real backseat and many viewers will pay scant attention to the entire war theme. Watching politicians negotiate for power and struggle with quotable (yet meaningless) phrases is a hoot. And the posturing is not limited to the power brokers, as we see their assistants are playing the same game ... just with less at stake.

Ultimately the film works as an aggressive, loud, foul mouthed quote fest and not so much as the political editorial it could/should have been. Peter Capaldi dominates the film as the spin doctor who uses intimidation to mask his schemes. Tom Hollander would have been the soul of the film, if it were better developed as a story. All will recognize him from Pirates of Caribbean. James Gandolfini, Mimi Kennedy, David Rasche and James Gandolfini provide the U.S. contingency that are deflatingly realistic and make us so "proud". Don't miss a funny turn by the great Steve Coogan as the poor citizen who just wants his mum's retaining wall repaired so it doesn't crush her in the greenhouse. While certainly not woven seamlessly into the film, it does provide a shot of realism for what Hollander's character would face.

Lastly, it is very nice to see Anna Chlumsky back on screen. An immediate child star in My Girl ... remember her kiss with Maculey Culkin? Ms. Chlumsky is now a mature presence and should definitely be a consistent actress for years to come.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Australia] Official site [France]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 September 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

In the Loop

Filming Locations:

Royal College of Physicians, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP612,650 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$191,866, 26 July 2009

Gross USA:

$2,388,804

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,787,487

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films, UK Film Council, Aramid Entertainment Fund

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1