In The Loop | 2009 | Gandolfini Style Teaser | UK One Sheet

In the Loop is a 2009 British satirical black comedy directed by Armando Iannucci and produced by Kevin Loader and Adam Tandy. The screenplay was written by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche. In the Loop is a spin-off from the BBC Television series The Thick of It and satirises Anglo-American politics in the 21st century and the Invasion of Iraq. It stars Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, Gina McKee, Chris Addison, David Rasche and James Gandolfini.

The storyline is focused around the UK Prime Minister and the US President who are on the verge of launching a war in the Middle East. But not everyone agrees that war is a good thing. The US General Miller doesn’t think so and neither does the British Secretary of State for International Development, Simon Foster. But, after Simon accidentally backs military action on TV, he suddenly has a lot of friends in Washington, DC. If Simon can get in with the right DC people, if his entourage of one can sleep with the right intern, and if they can both stop the Prime Minister’s chief spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker rigging the vote at the UN, they can halt the war. If they don’t… well, they can always sack their Director of Communications Judy, who they never liked anyway and who’s back home dealing with voters with blocked drains and a man who’s angry about a collapsing wall.

The film was shot on location in London and Washington D.C. with one scene being filmed at the Washington D.C. nightclub Black Cat; the band performing is Cannabis Corpse. In an article that appeared in The Telegraph, Armando Iannucci claimed he used his BBC press pass to enter the US State Department headquarters whilst researching the film, saying how he just turned up and claimed to be “here for the 12.30”. Iannucci then supposedly spent an hour inside taking photographs which were used for the film’s set designs.

When In the Loop was released it received high acclaim and extemely positive reviews from the critics and audiences alike. On Rotten Tomatoes it currently holds a rating of 94% with the general consensus being, “n the Loop is an uncommonly funny political satire that blends Dr. Strangelove with Spinal Tap for the Iraq war era”. Damon Wise, from The Times was particularly complimentary, giving the film five stars, stating “It’s hard to settle on a standout element because it’s all so outstanding, from the performances to the one-liners to the plot”.

Commerically, In The Loop was also successful. Having been produced with an estimated producion budget of £612,650 it went on to take $2,388,804 at the US box office and $5,398,683 internationally giving total worldwide box office reciepts of $7,787,487. In The Loop was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards in 2010.

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