Available on DVD or via download, 2008's In The Loop is a well done but depressing comedy/drama about the U.S. president and the British prime minister trying to sell a war to their respective legislative branches. It's pretty much a thinly-veiled commentary on the run-up to the Iraq war (or maybe it's exactly the Iraq war they're talking about, just not mentioning it by name), with every scene showing people screaming into phones, running through corridors with files, or engaging in paranoia-laced whispers about who knows what about what secret committee, back-room meeting, or other "inside" event.
The movie is depressing because its main message seems to be that everyone in government, from the most-seasoned legislator to the lowliest staffer, would immediately get behind anything, even a horribly-flawed war initiative, if it would help his or her career or stroke his ego (being offered a seat on the right advisory committee is a particular Holy Grail in the film). And what's truly depressing is that the film makes a convincing case that, too often, that is exactly what happens in situations like that.
But, if you can take the relentless cynicism and endless parade of self-serving characters, In The Loop will certainly entertain you with its sharp dialogue, dark humor, and overall intelligence.
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