I had never heard of this movie until the Oscar nominees were announced earlier this month. There among the nominees of Best Adapted Screenplay was a movie entitled "In The Loop." That was the only nomination of this film, and that made me curious about it.
That singular nomination was so right. The star of this film is most certainly the script! It is so over-the-top satiric and sarcastic. I daresay it is an incredible showcase for very innovative use of the English language. I had never heard words combined in such a bitingly funny yet incisively on-point manner.
The whole story began with a seemingly naive statement made by the clueless British Secretary of State on the radio that "war is unforeseeable" when asked about an impending US military intervention in the Middle East. This sets off a cascade of opposite reactions from both sides of the Atlantic as pro- and anti-war proponents face-off against each other with their conflicting views.
Fans of British black comedy will enjoy this film, which was apparently adapted by director Armando Iannucci from his BBC series called "The Thick of It." I do not get to watch enough British TV myself, but I really enjoyed the rapidly witty exchange of words by the characters. The excessive profanity seems so fit in this situation, I could not imagine any other words to use to replace them. They even make fun of their own profanity in one sequence. So funny.
I did not know most of the British cast but their performances are very entertaining as they brought the script to life with so much zip. Their very effective delivery makes the script work. Kudos to Peter Capaldi for his unflinching portrayal of the war-freak Malcolm. His fearless verbal assaults are sharper and deadlier than any weapon here. The American cast was more familiar with James Gandolfini there as a pacifist general, and Anna Chlumsky as an aide who wrote a controversial anti-war paper.
Overall, while this film is very good, it is definitely not for all audiences. The action here is in the words. I may not have been able to follow everything that was happening (like, what was that wall incident all about?) nor all the relentless British humor (should warrant a repeat watching), but I enjoyed myself nevertheless. You might enjoy it too.
