Remember when Paul Rudd's I Love You, Man touted itself as the most quotable film of the year? Forget it. They've been stripped of the title. Your new and far more deserving quote champeen is In the Loop, which reels off scathing one-liners in a machine gun manner that would make Dillinger jealous. In the Loop is a pointed political satire based off a British sitcom, about a bunch of UK/US bureaucrats trying to create a case for war, with hilarious results.
While there are something upwards of a dozen integral characters, the chief focus is on Secretary of State for International Development Simon Foster(Tom Hollander), a sortof mid-level nobody politician. Foster is earnest, but not terribly savvy. Especially in front of a camera. During an interview, Foster makes the mistake of stating that "war is not unforseeable". Think about that for a second. What the hell does that even mean? With members of the US Pentagon visiting at the time, the words are interpreted to mean that war is indeed on the horizon, and everything explodes into one big cluster****, as Simon finds himself thrust in the middle of the political tug of war. One side begins to use his words as a rallying cry for war, while the others use him as a pawn to delay.
Simon is chastised and brutally ridiculed by Communications Director Malcom Tucker(Peter Capaldi). Tucker might be the most memorable character of any films since McLovin. He's a horrible, vulgar, mean-spirited ogre of a middle aged man who rips through any and everybody with his razor sharp insults. Nobody is immune to his wrath, be it the lowest level intern or a 4-star General. When Simon screws up for a second time on camera, stating that they were "climbing the mountain of conflict" in a poor attempt to eloquently back away from his previous comments, Malcolm screams "Climbing the mountain of conflict"? You sounded like a Nazi Julie Andrews!"
It's hard to top Peter Capaldi's performance, but everyone involved is just as hilarious and oftentimes just as vulgar. James Gandolfini dons the uniform of General George Miller, an old warhorse trying to kill the war effort alongside his friend Karen Clarke(Mimi Kennedy). The General is another of the film's long line of attack dogs, ripping everyone around him to shreds, including a classic face off between he and Malcolm Tucker that should've been held in a steel cage. Miller reveals off my favorite sequence of the movie, as he constantly refers to himself as the "Gore Vidal of the Pentagon". Unfortunately he doesn't realize the full extent of such a claim.
As previously noted, In the Loop is based off a sitcom, and often times it feels like an extended episode of a series. That's both to it's benefit and detriment. It's shot in a handheld style reminiscent of The Office, sortof like we are in the room with these people as they make these big decisions that in theory should impact the entire world. But that's the problem. There are no real consequences to anything here. There are literally no stakes. We're talking war, but it doesn't really feel like it. After awhile it just starts to look like a bunch of people sniping at eachother. It's hella funny, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't have minded if it atleast seemed as if these people cared a little bit. As it stands, the only characters who seemed to be genuinely affected by anything were Simon, his thrown into the fire assistant Toby(Chris Addison), and Liza. Liza is played by Anna Chlumsky. Remember her? From My Girl with McCauley Caulkin? Yeah, she's grown up and sorta hot. Liza is Karen Clarke's assistant, who wrote a paper denouncing war that threatens to suffocate her career, which has emboldened(term used intentionally) one of her chief rivals. Who knew being a Washington intern was so competitive? Also, keep an eye out for a hilarious cameo by Steve Coogan.
While not as funny as The Hangover, both films are similar in that they rarely give you a moment to breathe in between jokes. They fly so fast and so often that it's almost a requirement to see it twice. I'm demanding that you all get off your f***ing arses and see it right now before you find yourself in some medieval war zone in the Caucasus with your arse in the air. See, quoting it already. Love it.
8/10
