In the Loop: Dr. Strangelove for the Post-Cold War Era

Robin Williams once said “Some say satire is dead. It’s not dead; it’s alive and living in the White House.” That’s a sentiment that the creators of BBC Films’ In the Loop would quickly agree. This film, distributed in America through IFC, lampoons the lead-up to an all-too-familiar war in the Middle East and shows us just how inept our governments really are. Unlike other political satires such as Primary Colors and Dick, the movie completely avoids the biggest target – the President - and instead focuses on the people who are stuck with the day-to-day running of government: career bureaucrats, personal aides, armchair generals, and petty politicians. The choice of subject matter is brilliant, and the audience gets treated to two hours of hilarious bureaucratic sausage making. The film starts in London with a hapless Minister of International Development, Simon Foster (Tom Hollander), flubbing an interview question on an impending war, claiming “War is unforeseeable.” This goes against the Prime Minister’s official message, and puts the PM’s excitable Director of Communications, Malcolm Tucker (wonderfully played by Peter Capaldi) on the warpath to correct this error. Foster quickly backtracks, but overcompensates in front of the media and gives a tortuous, impenetrable answer before unintentionally concluding, “We must climb the mountain of conflict.” Besides confusing everyone, Foster’s dueling sound bites attract the attention of both doves and hawks in the bowels of US Federal government, who try to use the Minister for their own ends. Naturally, the rivalry between the US officials parallels the two sides in the leadup to the Iraq War. The doves, represented by Undersecretary Karen Clarke (Mimi Kennedy) and General George Miller (James Gandolfini), are principled but disorganized, while the hawks, led by Linton Barwick (David Rasche), is disarming, Machiavellian, absolutely certain in the need for war, and quietly insane. Add into the mix a coterie of ambitious and backstabbing policy aides and a fast, obscenity-laced script, and the movie stands as a smart, energetic farce that is never preachy and is funny even during its heaviest moments.

 

History already knows which side wins the debate, and the movie follows that history closely, ending with a UN Security Council vote for war based on shaky intelligence. The main story is compact and well told, but what makes the movie such a delight is the sheer range of topics for jokes and gags the in the script: everything from opera to bestiality to France to the White Stripes. In case you were wondering, yes, James Gandolfini can do comedy. His character General Miller, and another, Malcolm Tucker, were given and delivered the best lines in the film; their confrontation in the final act was by far the best scene of the movie. However, the most intriguing character of In the Loop is Undersecretary Linton Barwick. While Linton is certainly an exaggeration of trigger-happy neocons Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld (he keeps a live grenade on his desk as a paperweight), there are definite parallels. Linton shares Rumsfeld’s purring, soothing voice, his love of racquetball, his talent for twisting the words of his rivals, and the knowledge that his opinion is absolutely correct. Like Rumsfeld, this should make Linton seem larger than life. But it doesn’t: unlike Rumsfeld, the audience can see Linton’s every underhanded move; and with hindsight, we know the end result. Because of this, Linton ultimately comes across as a small, hypocritical man with a hand on the levers of government and an unhealthy urge for war. It’s enough to make you lose faith in government. In fact, the film makes it a point to demystify government any way it can: the Prime Minister’s mansion at 10 Downing Street is covered in scaffolding; the view of the Capitol Building in DC is blocked by trees and construction; there’s no soundtrack; and the film quality itself has a grimy, grey tinge to it. Behind the jokes, the audience sees that government isn’t run, but is instead pushed, cajoled, hobbled, threatened, leaked, betrayed, defamed, embarrassed, hoodwinked and seduced into functioning. In its wake, careers are ended, relationships fall apart, and egos are crushed. This is a bitter pill to swallow, but like any good satire, the nonstop jokes make it go down all the easier.