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| Movie Review: In the Loop Alternate Title: Downing Street Memo
Story: Hilarity ensues in this
fast paced rollicking satire of political hacks, wacks and quacks. Directed
by Armando Iannucci and written by Mr. Iannucci,
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell and Tony Roche
we are introduced to a riotous array of back stabbing, duplicitous,
vindictive government employees on both sides of the Atlantic. It seems that the US and Britain are secretly
planning a war. A verbal slip ('war is unforeseeable') by a low level
British Minister of International Development turns both the White House
and 10 Downing Street upside down. The plot seems all too familiar as
the politicos feed false intelligence and rumors that escalate the rush
to war. Principles are thrown out the window as loyalty quickly turns
to betrayal as characters are seen to be on the up side of their careers
or on the downside. The dialogue is fast with venomous spewings of
invectives that will crack you up. The film does not name the country
to be attacked and the film is more about the procedures and people
that lead nations into war rather than ideals. You will laugh and you will cry because it is
so real in its unfortunately sad depiction of those that bring you the
world. See it. Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-5v6ZMY4W8 Acting: Peter Capaldi as Malcolm Tucker runs away
with the film even though it has a great ensemble cast. His invectives
will crack you up.Tom Hollander as the woe-begone Simon
Foster is nothing short of perfect. An all grown up Anna Chlumsky
as Liza is terrific as is, Chris Addison as Toby,
David Rasche as the evil Linton, Gina McKee as
Judy, James Gandolfini as the supposed pacifist General
Miller, Mimi Kennedy as Karen, Olivia Poulet
as Suzy, Steve Coogan as Paul Michaelson,
and Zach Woods as Chad.
Trivia: Tom Hollander went to Cambridge with his childhood
friend Sam Mendes - who is now the husband of Kate Winslet - with whom
Tom worked on the film Enigma. He has played two British kings: George
V in The Lost Prince (TV) and George III in "John Adams".
Peter Capaldi played the wicked John Frobisher
in TV's Torchwood. Anna Chlumsky's great-grandfather
owned a trained bear that appeared in Three Stooges movies. Desiring
at one time to be a paleontologist, she once worked for the Museum of
Natural History in Chicago, classifying fish.
Predilection: I like political satire.
Food: Doughnuts and take out Chinese
Sex Spectrum: Assumed sex, but no action.
Blatant Product Placement: Beck's Beer, Hewlett Packard
Computer
Opening Titles: A funny introduction into the movie
by way of the verbal gaff.
Theater Audience: A handful of other laughing theater
goers.
Squirm Scale: 0
Drift Factor: If you drift you will miss some of the
terrific dialogue.
Predictability Level: Moderate
Tissue Usage: 0
Oscar Worthy: Why not?
Big Screen or Rental: Big screen if you can find
it. You can rent 'Wag the Dog' for another great film.
Length: 106 minutes
LOBO HOWLS: 8
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