In the Loop (2009)

In the Loop is a hilarious British-American farce -- an expanding whopper of a tale about how one diplomatic slip of the tongue grows, through innuendo and ambition, to inexorably develop its own center of gravity and draw political players into its illusory orbit until the US and UK jointly declare war on some hapless nation. The British press secretary (Peter Capaldi) is a hoot as a seething Scots loose cannon with his abusive language -- he's almost Shakespearean in the imagination and literacy of his invectives and bodily threats, even as he's racing from rumored meeting to alleged cabal while barking into his cell phone, trying to effect damage control. An American diplomatic official (Mimi Kennedy) pulls every string she can unravel, in cahoots with her intern (Anna Chlumsky), building the rumor she unwittingly invented but is determined to track down. Junior civil servants make things happen too through their liaisons both formal and informal. A Rumsfeldian hawk (David Rasche) spreads a wonderfully smooth icing on the cake and an opportunistic Army general (James Gandolfini) equivocates until he comes down on the side of war. In the Loop has a fast-paced, intelligent, and ribald script that will hold your attention like few other movies -- provided you can follow Britspeak without subtitles. I saw it in the theater and I highly recommend In the Loop to anyone who loves politics, satire, or farce done bitingly and brilliantly. 4.5 stars.