Review of In the Loop (2009) by Ike O — 17 Nov 2010

Let's get the superlatives out of the way: this is the funniest film I've ever seen in theaters, as well as one of the smartest and most important films in recent history, and is easily the best, sharpest, brightest, blackest and most biting political satire since Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece 'Dr. Strangelove' 45 years prior.

It is black, politically incorrect political satire with a quickness of mind and sharpness of (a deliciously vulgar) tongue that left me astounded and exhausted from laughter. It chronicles the build-up to a war in an unnamed Middle Eastern country (read: Iraq), and the political maneuvering and ineptitude and relentless hawkishness and shameless manipulation behind the scenes is as horrifying as it is insightful - and always blisteringly hilarious.

Peter Capaldi deserved a BAFTA and - I'll say it - an Oscar or at least a bloody Golden Globe (Christoph Waltz and 'Inglourious Basterds' be damned) for his performance as the vitriolic master of spin Malcolm Tucker, whose inability to string together 4 words without vulgarities so creative and, well, vulgar, as to make a sailor's ears bleed is the centerpiece in a fine display of ensemble acting. Virtually every line he utters is a top-class zinger, and watching him terrorize his colleagues b4 facing the harsh realities of politics in Washington is an absolute delight. So much do you root for his unique brand of villainy that when he gets his comeuppance at the hands of the Americans (the 'masters' to England's poodle) it represents the one genuinely sad moment in the film, and displays the brilliant range that Capaldi hides up his sleeve.

Unlike 'Dr. Strangelove', this deals with matters more relatable to regular people. Rather than dealing with nuclear war and the end of existence as we know it, it handles the buildup to a war with the kind of political bickering, backbiting, backstabbing, manipulation, and endless pursuit of the recyclable soundbite that feels like the everyday norm in the corridors of power on Capitol Hill and in Whitehall.

Also, it deals with the real decision-makers in the political machine: the underlings in the State Department. They are the people who have to make or break the case for war, even if all they're doing is securing ammunition to back the course of action their bosses want. The President (who, like his counterpart at No. 10, is never even seen in the film) may sign the invasion, but nothing happens without these guys. In many ways, 'In The Loop' is to 'Dr. Strangelove' what 'Goodfellas' is to 'The Godfather'.

This could be a play, such is the reliance on superb and effective dialogue to drive the story forward, and this is a massive plus rather than a detraction. It is well shot in an almost faux documentary style that enhances its cinematic qualities.

I had to think back for the last time I'd laughed so long, hard and consistently in a film, with the closest parallel being Edgar Wright's and Simon Pegg's 'Hot Fuzz' and 'Shawn of the Dead', though 'Loop' offers much less reprieve between the bouts of laugh riots. A major major doff of the hat to BBC Films and the UK Film Council (with their wonderful, wonderful UK Film Lottery); this is my 2nd best film of the year 2009 (which was admittedly weak) and a must for my DVD library.

Get in the loop; you'll be delighted (and tickled pink) that you did.