Review of In the Loop (2009) by Jason J — 19 Jul 2011

"In The Loop" is an intelligent, incisive British political satire. Masterfully directed by Armando Iannucci, the same writer and producer responsible for the highly successful BBC satirical sitcom, " The Thick of It". What I find truly remarkable about this movie is that it remains neutral throughout its duration. Choosing not to take sides, it mocks the British as well as the American government. It also has a stellar cast of British and American actors.

The performances by the cast are uniformly excellent. Tom Holland is very effective as Simon Foster, a British bureaucrat with a serious foot-in-mouth disease. A gaffe master who doesn't think before he speaks, he has a tendency to make idiotic and highly embarrassing statements to the press. Even when he publicly backtracks after making an offhanded comment in a radio interview about an"unforeseeable" war, he sounds even more ridiculous and offensive. His ineptitude ends up infuriating the spin doctor for the the British government, played by an outstanding Peter Capaldi. Capaldi not only steals the show, he gives one of the greatest male performances ever as the hilarious, caustic and excessively profane (he makes insults sound almost like poetry!) Malcolm Tucker. Its a travesty that he failed to secure a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his performance. He really deserved it.

You won't find a dull moment in this movie. You'll be too busy laughing to take a look at your watch or at the clock. The brisk pace never lets up and not one of the cast is wasted. Every single character is memorable no matter the length of role. In The Loop is without a doubt one of the best political satire movies you'll ever see. I highly recommend it!