Robowriter:

In the Loop is a hilariously understated 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 it implodes as the US and UK jointly declare war on some hapless nation. The British press secretary (Peter Capaldi) is a hoot as a seething Scottish 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 inventive intern (Anna Chlumsky), to build the rumor she unwittingly created 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 only sensible side. 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. (12-18-09 updated 12-31-09)

Supercords:

Foul-mouthed fun. I?m sure I only caught half the jokes, as dialogue is delivered rapid-fire; auction style. And it?s the dialogue that matters here. The movie centers around US and UK politicians linguistically lambasting each other, often with four letter words?the kind your grandma doesn?t use. If you have sensitive ears, leave town now. Rating: C+

Jeremy Thomas:

Spun off of the BBC series "The Thick of It," this political satire takes aim at the days leading up to the Iraqi war with hilarious effect. Instead of focusing on the figureheads at the top of the spectrum and refusing to name the specific country being invaded, the story instead focuses on the bureaucrats and government advisors in their efforts behind the curtain to push or prevent war. The script by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche certainly deserves its nomination for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar, featuring some of the funniest dialogue of the year. Incendiary documents are given catchy acronyms that sound ridiculous and yet are delivered with perfect pitch by a talented cadre of American and British actors. David Rasche and Mimi Kennedy are wonderful as the sniping American leaders of the underlings, while Peter Capaldi handles the prolifically cursing Malcolm Tucker with such a fire that it's impossible not to laugh and yet be a little intimidated. Tom Hollander is wonderful as the spineless, in-over-his-head Minister for International Development Simon Foster and the rest of the supporting cast including James Gandolfini, Anna Chlumsky, Chris Addison and Paul Higgins are wonderful. A subplot involving Steve Coogan as a constituent of Hollander's drags down but plays importantly into the end. While it may not have gotten the attention of some higher-profile comedies, this is certainly one of the funniest films of 2009.

raghus:

My first impression was it was good. Then I wondered if this story really merited a movie when all it was, was a somewhat longer, edgier and more profanity-filled episode of "Yes, Minister" or "Yes, Prime Minister". If you like those shows you'll almost certainly like "In The Loop". 3.5 stars

Angry_Robot:

Very dense -- an intense political satire clearly aimed at insiders and frustrating for the rest of us. I found the plot difficult to follow, but the dialogue is sharp and the performances entertaining.

late nights:

You have to love those Brits!! Great satire of the political arena. No real substance, just a laugh out loud, silly movie. I imagine that the inner office stuff probably do go on in Britain. We here in America are too politically correct to speak our minds or swear out loud. Easy film to watch (put the sub-titles on if you can't understand the accent)! No thinking required.

Heather & Paul:

The acerbic and witty dialogue of Peter Capaldi is the only redeeming thing I found in the whole sleep. SO feel asleep toward the end.

KC 650222:

A hilarious, cynical and extremely profane version of The West Wing meets The Office.