In The Loop: DVD Review

In The Loop: DVD Review

In The Loop
Rating: R13
Released by Madman Entertainment

Cast: Peter Capaldi, James Gandolfini, Tom Hollander, Anna Chlumsky, Chris Addison

A spin off from the critically acclaimed The Thick Of It, it's a tale of politics, foul mouths and hilarious misunderstandings with global consequences.

With the British Prime Minister and US president looking to go to war, there are the inevitable political splits - and the situation is made much worse by Secretary of State for International Development, Simon Foster (Tom Hollander). His comment that war is "unforeseeable" during an interview is picked up - and suddenly the entire world appears to be going to hell in a handcart.

Only to make matters worse, the UK's chief spin doctor Malcolm Tucker (a stunning bilious performance from Peter Capaldi whose anger seems to push him close to a stroke) latches onto Foster as he tries to limit the damage control.

In The Loop is a dizzying, hedonistic trip through the corridors of power - it's like the West Wing on foul mouthed speed. It's about British politics and the satire - and takes in Washington politics as well.

It's fast paced, intelligent, frenetic and full of endlessly quotable F word moments - Iannucci shows why he's the king of UK satire as he lampoons the reality of life behind the political curtain.

With a top notch ensemble cast, In The Loop is full of quality performances - but one simply towers above the rest.

It's quite simply Peter Capaldi's film - his turn as spin doctor Malcolm Tucker defies description - from the first moments when he tells Foster's new intern to go away in no uncertain terms, it's clear he's not a man who minces his words. However, thanks to the juxtaposition of an impending global war and the absurdity of constituency politics, director Iannucci's able to weave a tableaux which is fun, frantic and requires a certain level of intelligence to follow.

In The Loop is a vicious satire and a very funny expression of politics as well as the levels it's played on - from the very top to the very bottom with quibbling interns.

Extras: Audio commentary with Armando Iannucci and cast; deleted scenes; webisodes, trailers and interviews with stars and the director make a great addition to a brilliantly savage film

Rating: 8/10