Film Club Review – In the Loop

In the Loop

Although a movie has many aspects, each individual film usually has one of these aspects which the rest are centered around. Some times they are centered around characters, sometimes around plot, other times around setting…. and sometimes they are centered around dialogue. In the Loop is one of the latter. This movie is loaded with people talking and we the audience are bombarded with quick wit repartee. Its a lot of fun.

The story centers around the Brits involvement to learn about USA’s plan to invade the middle east. There’s a lot of secrets and diversions and backstabbing politics. But really its the dialogue which makes this movie work. The characters really shine here and feel half like real people and half like caricatures, which works great.

Some of the writing here is pretty vulgar, a little too vulgar for my tastes (the characters of Malcolm and General Miller in particular). But that vulgarity comes and goes so quickly, there’s no time to be disgusted by it. And let’s face it, its really hard not to admire a movie with so, so many great and quotable lines. Here’s a few of my favourite:
-“At the end of a war, you need some soldiers left really, or else it looks like you’ve lost.”
-“This is a sacred place. Now you may not believe it and I may not believe it, but by God, its a useful hypocrisy.”
-“The Crimean war…. we got nurses out of that.” “Nurses are good.”
-“Are you sure you’re working as hard as I am, because I’m leaking spinal fluid here!”

And that’s just scratching the surface. This movie is funny, funny, lemon funny.
I suggest you all climb the mountain of conflict and check this out.
9/10