Watch: In the Loop 2009 123movies, Full Movie Online – The US President and UK Prime Minister fancy a war. But not everyone agrees that war is a good thing. The US General Miller doesn’t think so and neither does the British Secretary of State for International Development, Simon Foster. But, after Simon accidentally backs military action on TV, he suddenly has a lot of friends in Washington, DC. If Simon can get in with the right DC people, if his entourage of one can sleep with the right intern, and if they can both stop the Prime Minister’s chief spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker rigging the vote at the UN, they can halt the war. If they don’t… well, they can always sack their Director of Communications Judy, who they never liked anyway and who’s back home dealing with voters with blocked drains and a man who’s angry about a collapsing wall..
Plot: The US President and the UK Prime Minister are planning on launching a war in the Middle East, but—behind the scenes—government officials and advisers are either promoting the war or are trying to prevent it.
Smart Tags: #politics #politician #satire #smashing_fax_machine #committee #denial #hotel_room #anglo_american_relations #bleeding_mouth #10_downing_street #the_white_house_washington_d.c. #american_general #intelligence_leak #vote #washington_d.c. #wall #middle_east #lieutenant_general #reference_to_gwyneth_paltrow #reference_to_facebook #co_workers_who_hate_each_other
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An anti-war shag? In the Loop
There is something about British comedy that resonates with me. I don’t know if it is because we in the States experience so little of it, or maybe because Hollywood rapes and pillages the material for their own water-downed versions, but the humor just seems fresh, uncensored, and hilarious. When I first came across the new political black comedy In the Loop, I will admit to being less than interested. The marketing materials were using the whole Obama silkscreen poster look and I really wasn’t interested in a movie about how the US and Britain decided to go into the Middle East. But then the buzz started. The realization that the film was shot with a penchant for improv, a desire to entertain rather than teach, and a cast of characters looking as though they are in a Christopher Guest movie, soon turned that preconception around. This is a fantastic film that never lets up on the laughs or one-liners. I just hope people go into it knowing that this isn’t how it actually happened but then who knows? Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.The back and forth dialogue is so quick that I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read a quote from the director about it all being about 80-85% scripted. He says that he gave the actors leeway to break course and even do takes without scripts at all, but when culling everything together, most of what stuck actually maintained the verbiage laid out by its five screenwriters. Each of these men, including director Armando Iannucci, has been working with British television and all have collaborated on the show “The Thick of It”. I will say now, if I get a chance to check it out, I most certainly will. Political satire is not necessarily my favorite thing in the world—I’ll watch the odd “Daily Show” episode—but after viewing this laugh-riot, checking out a spoof on the British political system, of which I know very little, could be a ton of fun. Heck, just the inclusion of Peter Capaldi will get me to stop surfing when I reach the BBC. This guy steals the show without question.
Capaldi plays Malcolm Turner, a Brit on the frontline of politics as an aide to the Prime Minister, spinning everything and anything to save face. With no time to spare on his running across the Atlantic to put out fires wherever his compatriots start them, you will have to forgive his abrasive, sarcastic, and just plain mean demeanor. The idea of war is being bandied about on talk shows, behind closed-door governmental meetings, and all over the media machine, and it is up to him to keep a lid on it by walking the party line, neither stating a fight is inevitable or unforeseeable—two terms that the buffoon who is British Secretary of State for International Development Simon Foster, played beautifully by the ever capable Tom Hollander, loves to utter. Foster just has to open his mouth to cause a stir felt around the world, and each time, of course, Malcolm Turner is there to chastise and humiliate his stupidity.
The film ultimately revolves around the journey Hollander’s Foster takes in trying to enhance exposure for himself. Partaking in talk shows or talking out of turn when enlisted to just be “room meat”, some of the Americans begin to see him as someone abroad that shares their sentiment that war is a bad idea. While David Rasche’s Linton Barwick—a hardcore proponent of battle, even using a live grenade as a paperweight—forms secret committees to discuss strategies for war, Mimi Kennedy’s Karen Clarke and James Gandolfini’s Lt. General George Miller are looking for ways to get into that meeting and shut it down. As a result, those two dissenters try to get Foster at every event to awkwardly express his stance of war being unforeseeable, hoping to deter any people on the fence that may be in attendance. So, Malcolm must run back and forth through England and DC spinning things his way and lambasting anyone that gets in his line of fire. Either Foster is too oblivious to care about the verbal assaults thrown his way or he just feels he can blame his Director of Communications Judy, who he makes stay at home while he globe-trots with his new young adviser Toby, (Gina McKee and Chris Addison respectively). Toby and Foster are so similar in their awe of America and lack of experience that their adventures make for good cinema, taking camera phone pics out their limo and speaking about getting hookers for the ride.
In the Loop is expertly acted and, for the most part, I have to credit that to the intelligent script being utilized. Whether the actors are improvising or not, the original text they are sticking to or springboarding from needed to be strong. By using all the jokes and imbecilic actions we associate with politicians, the writers have crafted a plausible, if not entirely idiotic, account of the days leading up to our countries’ joint invasion. Documents are leaked, words are twisted, and supposed partners are stabbed in the back. But through it all we have Capaldi doing his best to keep Britain’s stance as noncommittal as possible. And, truthfully, the way in which he does it makes for what has to be the funniest role of the year. Every word out of his mouth is acerbic and full of double meaning. With the f-word spewing at will and demeaning name-callings going left and right, make sure your head is clear if British speech sometimes troubles you in the comprehension realm. Understanding his words definitely pays off, keeping what would otherwise be a slightly bloated and meandering plot grounded in comedic excellence.
Enjoyable Relentless British Sarcasm
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.
Original Language en
Runtime 1 hr 46 min (106 min)
Budget 0
Revenue 6149791
Status Released
Rated Not Rated
Genre Comedy
Director Armando Iannucci
Writer Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci
Actors Tom Hollander, Peter Capaldi, James Gandolfini
Country United Kingdom
Awards Nominated for 1 Oscar. 16 wins & 43 nominations total
Production Company N/A
Website N/A
Sound Mix Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio 1.85 : 1
Camera Sony CineAlta HDW-F900, Zeiss DigiPrime Lenses
Laboratory DeLuxe, London, UK, Framestore CFC, London, UK (digital intermediate)
Film Length N/A
Negative Format Video (HDTV)
Cinematographic Process Digital Intermediate (master format), HDCAM (source format)
Printed Film Format 35 mm