In the Loop ★★★★

The past few years have been jam packed with movies showcasing different perspectives on the Middle East, and on war in the Middle East specifically. Babel, Rendition, Grace is Gone…not too many of these movies have been gutbusters. I cannot, nor will I ever, subject myself to Delta Farce, so I can't speak to its comedic value. But British comedy In the Loop manages to offer an original, scathing take on Western government that is both hilarious and timely, even if its references to going to war in the Middle East refer largely to events that have long since passed.

The film focuses on a few mid-level figures in both the English and the American government, and is thus set in London and D.C. The role each government's minor players begin to take on in each other's worlds builds until it has a major effect on world events. If that sounds pretty serious, that's the beauty of In the Loop. Throughout the film, serious events are unfolding at the hands of especially un-serious people. And the most threatening figures are also the most hilarious – two Scots who can't go more that a few seconds without swearing while screaming are in charge of the English government's public relations.

A constant barrage of accents, sycophants, sarcasm, and cultural-reference jokes keep what could be a dry political "thriller" a fresh, funny, and biting political comedy. Go see it at your local indie house ASAP if you're good with accents (Chicagoans, it's showing at the Landmark Century at least through this weekend). Otherwise, wait for the subtitled DVD so you won't miss a beat.

Comments

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Yeah the phrase, "you get what you pay for," seems operative here :). Having taken some art classes, I assure you that at least 95% of the people who want to take their clothes off for you are not people you want to take their clothes off :)

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Keynesian stimulus can fail in many ways. Becker notes that it is usually late. Posner suggests that it doesn't have to be late, but it should be better designed. Both the timing and the design failures, however, derive from the political nature of any large special stimulus. Becker seems closer to the point. Whether its late our designed with an eye to political favorites, stimuli passed by legislatures are bound to be economically inefficient.