If they awarded Oscars for the creativity and frequency of swearing, then In the Loop would be a shoe-in. This hysterical political satire is bathed in brutal put downs and sarcastic barbs, the majority of which spew from the vitriolic tongue of government spin doctor Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi). The character, based on the notoriously abusive Alastair Campbell who served as the Director of Communications and Strategy under Tony Blair, originated in the British TV series In the Thick of It of which this is a spin off.
A caustic mix of Yes Minister, Dr Strangelove and Wag the Dog, In the Loop feeds off the absurdities of political diplomacy. The central theme is a very thinly veiled take on the period leading up to the U.S. and British invasion of Iraq. Though the film’s topicality might be suspect, the issues it ridicules, namely that of bureaucratic incompetence and corruption, are timeless. When the junior Minister in the Department of International Development, Simon Foster (Tom Hollander), utters the seemingly innocuous word “unforeseeable” when questioned about the possibility of war, it’s the catalyst for a chain of events the absurdity of which is both hilarious and disturbing, given how close to reality it is.
Directed by Armando Ianucci, who performed the same task for In the Thick of It, In the Loop is shot crudely, giving it the appearance of a documentary. The action flits between London and Washington, with the occasional foray to Foster’s Northampton constituency where he has to deal with an irate local played by Steve Coogan. It’s a fraught period for the minister who is desperately trying to salvage his political future, which is in jeopardy following his inadvertent deviation from the party line.
Hollander is excellent as the insipid, neurotic Foster who is being used as a pawn in the chess game being played between Parliament and Washington. Tucker is desperately trying to play down Foster’s slip of the tongue while a media storm swirls around. But away from his home soil, he finds his American counterparts impervious to his caustic bluster. Mimi Kennedy plays Karen Clarke, the head of an American anti-war group, and James Gandolfini delivers a terrific performance as the formidable General Miller. In one of the film’s best scenes, Miller is forced to use a child’s musical calculator to work out the projected number of casualties they anticipate if war breaks out.
It’s a strong cast, which also features Chris Addison as Foster’s new assistant, Gina McKee as the head of press and Anna Chlumsky as Clarke’s aide. But it’s the indefatigable Tucker’s tightly-wound energy and withering wit that propels things. Lampooning politicians is a national sport in England and one that we excel at. It’s true that they make themselves easy targets, but even so In the Loop continues the fine tradition and in Tucker, provides a memorable character.
Kevin Murphy
