Back home

In the Loop

742 votes

Producing House

The US President and the UK Prime Minister are planning on launching a war in the Middle East, but—behind the scenes—government officials and advisers are either promoting the war or are trying to prevent it.

movie

Status: Released

Released Date: 2009-01-22

Runtime: 106 mins

Director: Armando Iannucci

Spoken language: English

Genres: Comedy

Original title: In the Loop

Production Companies: Aramid Entertainment, BBC Film, UK Film Council, Protagonist Pictures

Production Countries: United Kingdom

Reviews

G

Geronimo1967
Peter Capaldi seems to be in his element as the foul-mouthed political aide "Tucker" in this look at just whether it's the tail that does the political wagging of the dog. He has it in for the British International Development Secretary "Foster" (Tom Hollander) who finds an off the cuff quote during a radio interview plunges him into a debate on both sides of the Atlantic about a potential war scenario. "Tucker" thinks he can just railroad his opinion through by sheer force of nature and excessive Anglo-Saxon peppered invective, but the American side of this are a bit more subtle - and "Gen. Miller" (James Gandolfini) and State Department deputy under secretary for countries beginning with the letter C - "Karen Clark" (Mimi Kennedy) take "Foster" at face value and what follows in now a quickly paced game of manipulation, duplicity and spookily ambitious interns. At times this quite potently mixes the scenarios of a "Yes, Minister" edition with the writing sharpness of the "West Wing" but for the most part I just found it all a bit too repetitious and vulgar. I think "Judy" (Gina McKee) would have been perfectly justified attacking "Tucker" with a rusty stapler and after about fifteen minutes I began to wonder why she didn't. It's his unfettered obnoxiousness that robs the thing of even the faintest sense of realism. The aforementioned television series worked because the roots of their humour were based in something plausible, the humour was a little more sophisticated and the characters not so crass. Hollander does well though, the mouse minister who fills a chair with little ideology one way or the other, as does Chris Addison as the weathervane analyst "Toby" who really has mastered the art of straddling the proverbial fence with aplomb. For me, though, sorry - this lacks any form of class with the quickly paced but far too abrasive and unconvincing a lead character. It was made at a time when the chief of staff role to the British Prime Minister was under a bit of a spotlight, so it's an easy target for Ianucci to throw stones at - I just like my comedy a little more thoughtful and a little less custard pie.
2024-04-17

n

narrator56
E his political satire is bursting with energy and, at times, with crackling dialogue. Hunger for power, incompetence, lack of respect for others, and betrayal are on full display. The movie had no problem keeping my interest, though it did lose my respect at times. The characters came across to me as fairly two-dimensional cardboard cutouts, and I was a little surprised to find they were exc=aptly the same way at the end. Maybe character growth is not needed in comedy, but a little more depth would have been great. I thought Gandolfini, Gina McKey and Mimi Kennedy came the closest to making their candidates real, but ultimately the script let them down. The Malcolm character was there at every turn to shout them down. The constant use of curse words reveals a lack of imagination, a lazy writer’s way of trying to titillate the audience. But when you hear the f-bomb every fifteen seconds, it loses all its shock value and exposes that lazy writing. So while the movie never lost me, it never really captured me either. I was just along for the ride.
2021-12-05

Recommendations

The DUFF
3.4

The DUFF

2015-02-20

Bianca's universe turns upside down when she learns that her high school refers to her as a ‘DUFF' (

Shanghai Knights
3

Shanghai Knights

2003-02-06

When a Chinese rebel murders Chon's estranged father and escapes to England, Chon and Roy make their

Alvin and the Chipmunks
2.9

Alvin and the Chipmunks

2007-12-13

A struggling songwriter named Dave Seville finds success when he comes across a trio of singing chip

Charlie Wilson's War
3.3

Charlie Wilson's War

2007-12-19

A Texas congressman sets a series of events in motion when he conspires with a CIA operative to aid

Happily N'Ever After
2.5

Happily N'Ever After

2007-01-05

An alliance of evil-doers, led by Frieda, looks to take over Fairy Tale Land. But when Ella realizes

The Ladykillers
3.6

The Ladykillers

1955-12-08

Five oddball criminals planning a bank robbery rent rooms on a cul-de-sac from an octogenarian widow

The Ladykillers
3.1

The Ladykillers

2004-03-25

An eccentric, if not charming Southern professor and his crew pose as a band in order to rob a casin

Testosterone
2.6

Testosterone

2003-09-11

Dean has been stumped for some time in his attempt to produce a follow-up to "I was a Teenage Speed

And the Ship Sails On
3.6

And the Ship Sails On

1983-10-07

In 1914, a cruise ship sets sail from Naples to spread the ashes of beloved opera singer Edmea Tetua

Spice World
2.5

Spice World

1997-12-18

World famous pop group the Spice Girls zip around London in their luxurious double decker tour bus h

Underdog
2.8

Underdog

2007-08-03

A lab accident gives a beagle named Shoeshine some serious superpowers -- a secret that the dog even

Tropic Thunder
3.3

Tropic Thunder

2008-08-09

A group of self-absorbed actors set out to make the most expensive war film ever. After ballooning c

Speed Racer
3.1

Speed Racer

2008-05-07

Speed Racer is a young and brilliant racing driver. When corruption in the racing leagues costs his

Idiocracy
3.2

Idiocracy

2006-09-01

To test its top-secret Human Hibernation Project, the Pentagon picks the most average Americans it c

Smokin' Aces
3.2

Smokin' Aces

2006-12-09

When a Las Vegas performer-turned-snitch named Buddy Israel decides to turn state's evidence and tes

I Hired a Contract Killer
3.4

I Hired a Contract Killer

1990-10-12

After losing his job and realizing that he is alone in the world, a businessman opts to voluntarily

What Have I Done to Deserve This?
3.5

What Have I Done to Deserve This?

1984-10-25

A henpecked housewife ekes out a meager existence, surrounded by a host of colorful characters: her

BAD SURVIVOR
0

BAD SURVIVOR

2025-02-20

After being "broken up with" by her oncologists, a sarcastic young cancer patient — or should I say

Vampire's Kiss
3

Vampire's Kiss

1989-06-02

A publishing executive is visited and bitten by a vampire and starts exhibiting erratic behavior. He

Dan in Real Life
3.3

Dan in Real Life

2007-10-26

Advice columnist Dan Burns is an expert on relationships, but somehow struggles to succeed as a brot