In the Loop

Armando Iannucci’s political satire In the Loop is brilliant. Why? Well, for a start it’s hilarious (what do you expect from one of the UK’s top comic writers whose repertoire includes I’m Alan Partridge), the performances are fantastic (Peter Capaldi, Gina McKee and James Gandolfini stand out) and the characterisations and scenarios are so closely observed that, were we not laughing so hard at this silly world of politics and spin, we’d be despairing at how close to reality it is. The film follows British and American civil servants in the build-up to an unnamed war in the Middle East. Set in the same world as Iannucci’s The Thick of It, In the Loop is one of those rare accomplishments – a successful adaptation of a TV programme to the big screen. Yet, it’s also more than just that, as the credits roll there’s a lingering poignancy that identifies the film as an important reflection on an era fraught with political dissatisfaction and frustration.