In The Loop

The funniest film of the year so far, In The Loop is also one of the most depressing. If this is really how politics is conducted, then we're all doomed (the nightly news suggests it's horribly true-to-life) Almost every character is more interested in pursuing their own interest rather than that of society: witness the MP's surgery, where a string of constituents is fobbed off by an underling. Even worse, many combine this with a truly alarming degree of incompetence. Even time Simon Foster opens his mouth, there's a sense of imminent disaster, especially when he's trying to construct a metaphor. Monstrous as he is, you entirely understand Malcolm Tucker's vociferous reaction to each successive blunder by the bumbling minister. In fact, the only people who seem capable of doing their jobs and getting results are Tucker and his henchman, Jamie Macdonald AKA "the crossest man in Scotland according to Foster, which is quite an achievement when the main competition is Tucker. The sad thing is that their methods involve verbal abuse, intimidation and GBH against inanimate objects. Foster doesn't stand a chance and is ultimately even deprived of a dignified exit. By the time he finally takes a stand, he's been completely outmanoeuvred by Tucker. The viewer has far more sympathy with Foster, who at least means well, than with his ambitious and duplicitous aide Toby who does at least get a deserved (political) comeuppance. Prior to that his personal life has imploded hilariously when his infidelity is revealed by phone in the pub. Toby foolishly tries to justify it as part of the mission to avert war, to the increasing anger of his girlfriend and hilarity of his friends. Clearly this man is no match for Tucker.