Dir: Armando Iannucci / Writer: Jesse Armstrong and Simon Blackwell / Cinematography: Jamie Cairney
Armando's merry band (image: potatojunkie FlickrCC)
Malcolm Tucker, I salute you.
Peter Capaldi, reprises his role as the British Prime Minister’s deliciously foul-mouthed, ruthless communications director from BBC TV series, The Thick of It. And, although many of the TV cast have come along for the big-screen outing, no prior knowledge is required for full enjoyment of the Tucker experience.
Tom Hollander plays bumble-brained Foreign Secretary Simon Foster whose inane ‘off-message’ comments to an interviewer unintentionally spark an international military crisis.
Malcolm is called in to save the day in his own inimitable style – think sledgehammer cracking tiny, tiny nuts – trading violently vicious barbs with everyone who comes within 10 paces. Only Simon’s communications director, Judy Malloy, (a beautifully deadpan Gina McKee) holds her own against his verbal onslaught, refusing to see the whole political structure as anything more than a silly game played by silly boys.
And, as the British contingent head to the US for briefings and secret war committees, it soon becomes clear that all over the world silly boys (and girls) play silly games about deadly serious subjects.
As a political satire it is bitingly clever, showing the bullying, bargaining and machinations that are a fixed part of the political landscape. There’s no chance of truth or justice prevailing with this bunch of lying, cheating back-stabbers. And although its focus is the 2003 decision to go to war in Iraq, In the Loop’s focus on the corrupt lunatics running the asylum is just as relevant in a period where we’ve seen politicians and lobbyists lie, cheat and steal from the people they’re supposed to be representing. Good work Iannucci.
Rating: 4/5
IMDb entry for In the Loop
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