So, let’s talk politics. Or, better yet, let’s talk politicians. I’ll bet half of you just threw down the paper in disgust and the other half are now glued to the page in anticipation of an impending train wreck. The satirical British film “In the Loop” is fearless in its portrayal of this train wreck we dub “politics.” Well then, to quote the character Simon, “Welcome to the madhouse.”
“In the Loop,” directed by Armando Iannucci, follows British and American politicians as they deal with the difficult dilemma of going to war against a rogue state. Sound familiar? Malcolm Tucker, played by Peter Capaldi, is the cynical, and borderline vulgar, Prime Minister’s senior press officer. His ruthless language and demanding attitude can be off-putting, but there is an underlying appreciation for his brutal honesty in an environment where honesty is the exception, rather than the rule.
Working with Malcolm is the sharp- tongued Judy Molloy, played by Gina McKee, as well as the rambling cabinet minister Simon Foster, played by Tom Hollander. Through a tangled mess of verbiage, Simon complicates the British government’s public position on the war. The nervous newcomer Toby Wright, played by Chris Addison, deceives officials with his boyish Ron Weasley looks, ousting Judy as Simon’s second-in-command. Clever banter between officials often crosses into obscene territory, yet even the swearing is done in true British fashion with a tinge of eloquence.
The American diplomats are not impervious to the dysfunctional childish exchanges and “behind-closed-doors” bargaining. The foil between the older British politicians and the younger “kids in Washington” politicians provides fertile ground for conflict.
Karen Clarke, played by Mimi Kennedy, is a somewhat neurotic U.S. State Department official who has no qualms about bossing around her assistant Liza Weld, played by Anna Chlumsky. The leak of Liza’s pro/con brief regarding an impending war creates controversy that brings together the British and American teams in Washington, D.C., and leads to a U.N. resolution vote in New York City.
At the U.N. vote, we meet warhawk state official and archetypal villain Linton Barwick, played by David Rasche, who abuses his power to manipulate people and procedures. Ironically, the physically-intimidating but emotionally-sensitive Pentagon Lt. Gen. George Miller, played by James Gandolfini, provides a stark contrast to Linton by courageously revealing “once you’ve been there [war], once you’ve seen it, you never want to go back. It’s like France.”
Through this complicated web of political relationships and bureaucratic processes, “In the Loop” shows the dark and twisted reality of war. Beneath the off-the-cuff humor and quirky characters lies the startling conviction that morality does not always triumph over deception. The dangerous political game of “spinning” words only solidifies the notion that playing with words is like playing with fire. From sexual scandals to backstabbing debacles, politicians are still susceptible to unethical temptations despite their very public and prominent status. The film suggests that the end of this serious debasement of values that permeates most political decisions is nowhere in sight.
Perhaps the only explanation for this sad realization comes from Lt. Gen. Miller himself: “It’s intolerable but I’m going to tolerate it.”