Q: Hey, this is based on a TV show? So it's just a puffed-up version of a Britcom?
A: "In the Loop" is a loose adaptation of a brilliant Britcom called 'The Thick of It," one shot "Office"-style in documentary format but with a bureaucratic setting. This movie similarly skewers politics and government, and it does so very well. I'm really complimenting it when I say it does the TV series justice.
Q: The previews made this look like a bunch of people standing around and talking. Is that what we have here?
A: Well...yeah, but sometimes they're walking! Hey, just because the film is jam-packed with dialogue about the process of going to war as opposed to scenes of actual war doesn't mean it's not exciting. The characters are playing out their own vicious dramas and mind games, but they happen to be doing it with words--that is, insults, leaks, innuendos, etc. Sure, "Loop" is talky, but it's great talk delivered by fine performers.
Q: Does the Americanized setting hinder or hurt this?
A: "Loop" gets luminaries like James Gandolfini (as a general) and David Rasche (hilarious as a right-wing Assistant Secretary of State) by focusing on the Anglo-American relationship, satirizing the way the US and Britain entered the Iraq War together. It gets many of the Brits physically over here in a rather contrived manner, but who cares? Overall, it stays faithful to the spirit of "The Thick of It," and the Americanization of the setting expands the scope and helps sustain a feature-length story.
Q: What's the deal with that scary guy who looks to be yelling at everybody?
A: That's the great Peter Capaldi as the Prime Minister's pit bull, Malcolm Tucker. I don't even remember his actual title, but his job is basically yelling and swearing at everybody to make sure they stick to the official game plan. Capaldi reprises his role from the TV show and is mesmerizing every single moment he's on screen. This is a movie crammed with hilarious dialogue, but it would be a must-see if only to enjoy the various ways Malcolm incorporates the f-word into his sharp rants and putdowns.
Q: What if we're fatigued by or never wanted to see Iraq War movies? Is this still worth checking out?
A: It's not like this takes you into the desert in Humvees. It's a sophisticated political satire, fast-moving and funny as hell. It doesn't deal with war itself so much as the machinations and maneuvering that lead to it. I'll admit this would have been a tad fresher 3 or 4 years ago, but if you're at all interested in a movie that exposes the idiocy of politics and the self-serving nature of its participants, then this is for you, "Iraq fatigue" or no.
A: "In the Loop" is a loose adaptation of a brilliant Britcom called 'The Thick of It," one shot "Office"-style in documentary format but with a bureaucratic setting. This movie similarly skewers politics and government, and it does so very well. I'm really complimenting it when I say it does the TV series justice.
Q: The previews made this look like a bunch of people standing around and talking. Is that what we have here?
A: Well...yeah, but sometimes they're walking! Hey, just because the film is jam-packed with dialogue about the process of going to war as opposed to scenes of actual war doesn't mean it's not exciting. The characters are playing out their own vicious dramas and mind games, but they happen to be doing it with words--that is, insults, leaks, innuendos, etc. Sure, "Loop" is talky, but it's great talk delivered by fine performers.
Q: Does the Americanized setting hinder or hurt this?
A: "Loop" gets luminaries like James Gandolfini (as a general) and David Rasche (hilarious as a right-wing Assistant Secretary of State) by focusing on the Anglo-American relationship, satirizing the way the US and Britain entered the Iraq War together. It gets many of the Brits physically over here in a rather contrived manner, but who cares? Overall, it stays faithful to the spirit of "The Thick of It," and the Americanization of the setting expands the scope and helps sustain a feature-length story.
Q: What's the deal with that scary guy who looks to be yelling at everybody?
A: That's the great Peter Capaldi as the Prime Minister's pit bull, Malcolm Tucker. I don't even remember his actual title, but his job is basically yelling and swearing at everybody to make sure they stick to the official game plan. Capaldi reprises his role from the TV show and is mesmerizing every single moment he's on screen. This is a movie crammed with hilarious dialogue, but it would be a must-see if only to enjoy the various ways Malcolm incorporates the f-word into his sharp rants and putdowns.
Q: What if we're fatigued by or never wanted to see Iraq War movies? Is this still worth checking out?
A: It's not like this takes you into the desert in Humvees. It's a sophisticated political satire, fast-moving and funny as hell. It doesn't deal with war itself so much as the machinations and maneuvering that lead to it. I'll admit this would have been a tad fresher 3 or 4 years ago, but if you're at all interested in a movie that exposes the idiocy of politics and the self-serving nature of its participants, then this is for you, "Iraq fatigue" or no.
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