IN THE LOOP (Alliance, 2009) D: Armando Iannucci, w/ Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander. Rating: NNN DVD package: n/a Rating: NNN
Vicious politicking in the corridors of power, deadpan black humour and an endless stream of garbage-mouthed insults make In The Loop a fun renter for those of us who think the English do nasty better than anyone else.
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With the British prime minister and the American president primed to launch a Mideast war, spineless and inane Minister for International Development Simon Foster (Tom Hollander) says the wrong thing in an interview, incurring the wrath of the PM’s rage-fuelled director of communications, Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi).
Matters worsen when forces in Washington summon Foster to serve as a puppet for both pro- and anti-war factions. Blackmail, intimidation, betrayal and faked intelligence abound.
Capaldi, Hollander and the rest of the cast pump out the energy and bile as though their lives depended on it and never once wink at the camera. Director Armando Iannucci keeps the pace brisk with a restless hand-held camera. Big fun.
No extras, but there doesn’t seem to be any need for them.
EXTRAS Widescreen. English, French subtitles.
