In the Loop

In the Loop (2009)
Directed by Armando Iannucci. Starring Tom Hollander, Peter Capaldi, and James Gandolfini.

This is a wild and witty political comedy. Based loosely on the relationship and interactions between British and American diplomats leading up to the Iraq War, this movie shines because of its sharp, biting screenplay. Laugh out loud lines fly at you, one after another. The acting is hilarious. Yet, it's smart humor -- a relief in a day and age when The Hangover and Judd Apatow seem to lord over the genre. Above all, what stood out to me about this film was its dark absurdity. Yes, everything these diplomats say or do is ridiculous... but their statements and actions decided the fate of two major countries and changed countless lives. It shows how incidental something major can be -- how one action leads to another leads to another and suddenly, we're at war with Iraq. Not a very comforting thought.

In the Loop manages to deal with politics without becoming overly political or preachy. It points to the errors and misunderstandings that may have played a role in this period of history, but lets you draw your own conclusions about who's to blame. It's particularly interesting for me, as someone who was slightly too young to be fully aware of what was going on in politics in this period, to see a film like this, which is a commentary on those events. Much like the film Fair Game, about Valerie Plame (which I will be reviewing shortly), I have only a dim recollection and vague understanding of the time, so the film both amplifies and substitutes what I remember.

Above all, it's not hard to see why this film received an Oscar nomination for its screenplay.... it is truly superb writing. In addition to one-liners that keep you laughing, the plot deals with the idea that politics are driven by language. For example, one minor MP saying that war is "unforeseeable" sets the whole thing off. This and other statements by other characters lead to information leaking, bad information being spread... and voila, a muddled up situation that some power-hungry men can take advantage of and start a war. As a film released in 2009 when the US, at least, was ready to move on to the more optimistic and hopeful Obama Era, this film perhaps received less attention than it would have a few years before. Still, I think it's absolutely worth seeing, for many reasons... it's historically interesting, side-splittingly hilarious, quite entertaining, yet still a film that can make you think.