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Iannucci misses at 'In the Loop'

'Loop' has inconsistency with various characters.

Published online on Friday, Oct. 09, 2009

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Armando Iannucci's "In the Loop" mixes dry British wit with the convoluted world of politics to create a film at times funny enough to make you blow tea out your nose and other times as confusing as the Congressional Record in Sanskrit.

When Iannucci discovers his filmmaking clarity the film has the documentary filming style of "The Office" and the governmental insanity of "Wag the Dog."

In the center of a political tempest is British Secretary of State for International Development Simon Foster (Tom Hollander). He's spent his career a minor member of British government only to be thrust into the spotlight because of his comments about the possibility of war in the Middle East. His newfound status grows when he goes to Washington, D.C., on a fact-finding mission involving the United States' war plans.

Miscommunication ensues as both Americans and Brits get caught up in political gamesmanship. Since no one wants to appear out of the loop -- even if nothing's happening -- they use any means to be informed even if that means making things up.

The five writers who contributed to the screenplay previously worked in television and "In the Loop" has a very episodic feel rather than a steady film tempo. That creates an inconsistency with various characters such as the dovish Lt. Gen. George Miller (James Gandolfini) who is more observer than participant in the political mania. He should have been more actively involved, like Slim Pickens' character in the black political comedy "Dr. Strangelove."

Political comedies are difficult because there's already a certain amount of absurdity in how government runs with its overlapping departments and professional paranoia. Iannucci struggles with that reality, leaving his film hit-and-miss. The unevenness keeps "In the Loop" from being the bright and dark comedy it could have been.