'In the Loop': British politicians on the verge of a nervous breakdown

Political satire is a rare bird at the cinema, so fans of the genre should watch and savor Armando Iannucci's "In the Loop" — a rapid-fire, profane celebration of the art (and artlessness) of spin. Crafted by four writers (including director Iannucci, best known for the British TV series "I'm Alan Partridge" and "The Thick of It"), the film's pacing is quick, the camera work loose, and the feeling immediate — as if we're actually present in the film's endless series of political meetings. ("Room meat" is the memorable phrase given to describe people invited purely to fill the space. We're all room meat here.)

"In the Loop" kicks off with an unfortunate interview given by Britain's minister for international development, Simon Foster (Tom Hollander, looking perpetually abashed), in which he says that a U.S. war in the Middle East is "unforeseeable." Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi, in a constant not-so-slow burn), the prime minister's director of communications, tries to limit the damage, emphatically telling reporters "You may have heard him say that, but he did not, and that is a fact" — a statement so hilariously reasonable you almost wonder why it doesn't work.

Soon Foster manages to knit himself into even more of a tangle, announcing that "to walk the road of peace, sometimes we have to be ready to climb the mountain of conflict." A disgusted Tucker thinks he sounds like a Nazi Julie Andrews, but nonetheless Foster, who really has no idea what he's talking about, is off to Washington, D.C., with his new adviser Toby (Chris Addison). They're bound for meetings with Karen Clarke (Mimi Kennedy), the U.S. assistant secretary for diplomacy, and an array of other D.C. figures, as talk of war brews. "They're all kids in Washington," sighs Foster's communications director Judy Malloy (Gina McKee, her delivery as dry as a position paper). "Like 'Bugsy Malone,' but with real guns."

Crowded with self- absorbed bureaucrats and rife with raunchy language (including some creative epithets I'd never heard before, and don't dare repeat here), "In the Loop" lets none of its characters off the hook; indeed, it's quite chilling in some moments, as we wonder how close to reality it might hit. But it's always funny, even as Foster is receiving his umpteenth bollocking from the folks back home. "I'm standing my ground on the verge," he says, trying desperately to hit on the right message; indeed, he is.

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com