We literally laughed out loud @ In the Loop

"In the Loop" is a totally entertaining movie in that so-British way, that will remind you of the fast-paced British comedies of the '70s (and in deeper ancestry of the American screwball comedies and even farther back smart Anglo-Irish drama, e.g., Wilde) - though I don't mean in any way that it's antique or fusty. It's about a totally feckless British minister (of foreign affairs?) who blurts in a radio interview that the country is not likely to go to war, apparently not the party line, and then he is subjected to some very rude handling by the communications officers. All the characters are, as the British would say, spot-on: dead accurate portrayals and caricatures of government officials in England and DC (half the movie is in the U.S.), bright and ambitious young aides, handlers and speechwriters, diplomats, a general (James Gandolfini, the only well-known actor - great!) - everyone plotting for advantage or else being walked all over by the more crafty, more devious, more cruel. The dialogue is so smart and snappy and fast-paced, we literally laughed out loud but then stifled the laughter because you don't want to miss a line. This movie really seemed to fly under the radar. No audience for this kind of smart, edgy satiric drama I guess - no monsters, no explosions, no 3-D effects, no romance, no scenery, no decor - no viewers. Maybe it earned out, I hope so. The satire at times goes over the top, but as anyone who's worked in government (or communications) knows, reality itself often goes over the top. If you can imagine The Office crossed with, say, The West Wing - this is it.