Lost in an endlessly growing queue and buried beneath thousands of rows of titles, there are a few hidden Netflix gems.
“In the Loop” (2009)
Directed by Armando Iannucci,
106 min, NR
Armando Iannucci is the king of political satire. The British director and writer for “Veep” and “In the Thick of It,” pulls no punches when illustrating an absurd group of bureaucrats in the film “In the Loop.”
“In the Loop” is set before the United States and United Kingdom’s invasion of Iraq. The film starts out with the two countries keeping a tight lid on their desires to go to war. However, not everyone in the government is as keen to go to war.
After the British secretary of state for international development, Simon Foster (played by Tom Hollander of “Pirates of the Caribbean”), talks on the radio about the impossibility of a war in the future, politicians and bureaucrats in the U.S. and the U.K. scramble to downplay his statements, manipulating him and his words to build a case against war.
Iannucci portrays the politics of “In the Loop” in a vulgar and crass fashion. It has ultra-combative and foul-mouthed characters like the director of communications for the prime minister, Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi of “The Thick of It”), and Lt. Gen. Miller, U.S. senior military assistant to the secretary of defense (James Gandolfini of “The Sopranos”).
The film’s focus on characters with less-than-prestigious titles like “U.S. assistant secretary of state for diplomacy” adds a layer of absurdity to the character’s story. The influence they try to exhibit hardly reaches outside whichever room they are in, although they act as though it can reach the highest government levels.
Fast-paced and witty, this movie is probably the funniest film I have seen on Netflix. If you’re a fan of political satire, the HBO series “Veep,” starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, or black comedies in general, “In the Loop” is a perfect choice.
Awesome hidden movie you’ve already seen:
“Jumanji” (1995)
Perfect for those moments when you feel nostalgic about board games coming to life.
