There are so many great performances in In The Loop it would be tough to single any one out. It works as a brilliant ensemble piece and there really isn’t a weak link. James Gandolfini has the advantage for being so well liked over here. Still, the movie is very small. A while back, Vulture made a play for Peter Capaldi, whose “Tasmanian Devil‚Äìlike performance as the British prime minister‚Äôs unspeakably foulmouthed director of communications ‚Äî a performance we‚Äôre hoping will be remembered come awards time.” And indeed, this man owns, to use a lame internet term, in the film. He’s also already won an Oscar, as Vulture points out.
But he’s well matched by Gandolfini and probably one of the best scenes in the film is the showdown between the two. Everyone is good in it. If the SAG were even more adventurous — they’re fairly adventurous as it is — they might consider giving this film a much-deserved ensemble nod. And all of America would say “huh?”
Don’t try to take In the Loop in one swallow. You’ll need a few more rounds of it to absorb it all. I found myself cackling long after the fact on the “I Heart Huckabees” line and all that it represented. The only snag with screenplay is that there are so many writers listed on IMBd. If it were only one, he/she could be hailed as a genius, a bright star, and there would be your Oscar nod — followed by a brilliant, if brief, career in Hollywood being or refusing to be a sell-out.
There are certainly moments where the film slows a bit and all of that banter can make a viewer somewhat exhausted trying to keep up. But there is no real need to keep up. The movie will always be there for repeat viewings.
(PROFANITY WARNING)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reTHiReUNo4[/youtube]