REVIEW: In the Loop

If you take a look at his back catalogue on the Internet Movie Database you'll quickly see just how instrumental Armando Ianucci has been in shaping British comedy. For the past 15 years he has been one of the creative geniuses behind the likes of Brass Eye, The Day Today and even Alan Partridge.

But one of his greatest creations has been The Thick of It which is a spoof fly-on-the wall insight into the working of government departments. What you say, doesn't sound very funny? You're wrong. Very wrong.

It's hilarious.

It's like weird mix of The West Wing, with Yes Minister and The Office - but on acid.

So onto the subject at hand - In The Loop. Which is a big screen version of The Thick of It plus a touch of Hollywood.

Ianucci calls on many of the same actors as the TV show, but only the razor-sharp foul mouth Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi) character makes the leap across to the big screen. So we have Chris Addison playing Toby Wright instead of Oli Reeder, Joanna Scanlan as Roz instead of Terri Coverley and James Smith as Michael Rodger instead of Glenn Cullen. For good measure we have Steve Coogan, Soprano James Gandolfini and a host of other familiar faces all making an appearance.

So onto the story.

The Prime Minister and the American President are in the mood to go to war, but their staff must now persuade everyone else that it's a good idea. Trouble is, Secretary of State for International Development, Simon Foster, doesn't think it is. But Foster drops a clanger during a TV interview when he gives the impression he is a hawk, gaining him some unlikely backing in the US. So he embarks on a mission to head to Washington to persuade his unlikely new allies the follies of war, bringing him into direct conflict with the Prime Minister's chief spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker who is himself out to rig the UN vote in favour of war.

Capaldi's Malcolm Tucker is in great form who shows his bite is as bad as his bark. Yikes.

And what we end up with is a brilliantly scripted and performed fast-paced and witty take on life in power. But instead of being over-critical of those who stroll the corridors of power In the Loop, and The Thick of It, appear to be hat-tips to our parliamentarians. But do bare in mind, this was made before the expenses shenanigans.

In the Loop - trailer

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