'In the Loop' review

Mimi Kennedy and James Gandolfini (Credit: Nicola Dove/IFC)

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With a potential war (with Iraq, ostensibly) on the table, politicians, military officials and plenty of powerless underlings in America and Britain trade quips and sound bites to try to figure out who believes what, who's siding with whom and how to get anything done. Starring Tom Hollander as a British cabinet minister with his foot constantly in his mouth, Peter Capaldi as a hysterically foulmouthed British communications director and James Gandolfini as a boorish American general.

The buzz: The last few years have brought plenty of Iraq-related movies but few comedies with as much zip in the script as director/co-writer Armando Iannucci's "In the Loop." The question is if anyone still wants to hear about this six years into the war and in a new, non-Bush era of American politics.

The verdict: Nearly every line is a different, potent form of B.S. in this droll little picture, with humor so dry you better buy that large drink beforehand. With so many daggers cutting it's hard not to want more of an explanation on why officials feel the way they do about the pending war, and thoughts on how to untangle such political knottiness. Of course, the chaos, secrets and betrayals are the point, and the super-quick "In the Loop" demonstrates wit and agility while characters move from offense to defense and back, deflecting even the most unhinged barbs with the most strategic and meaningless nonsense.

Did you know? An American congressman (David Rasche) is so arrogant he uses a live grenade as a paperweight. If you've got something you're not using for its intended purpose, why waste it?

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