In the Loop

Sorry for delays. I am apparently just a lazy ass dude.

The other day I flipped on Armando Iannucci's hilarious political satire, In the Loop.

It's about one minor British minister who creates a public hooplah when he says that war is "unforseeable". American politicians and said minister's boss all get involved in everything from media spin control to changing transcripts of meetings. It's a beautiful send up of political corruption and the behind the scenes of war. It's populated by wonderfully realized characters, all of whom have no idea, for the most part, of what the hell is really going on. From Simon Foster's subdued turn as a continually dispirited and dufus minister, to Anna Chlumsky's (it's cool, many years have passed since My Girl) hot, charismatic and career obsessed American senate assistant. Everybody is great. The real star, though, is Peter Capaldi. His fuck-spitting vocabulary makes for one of the most enjoyably corrupt cunts in recent memory. His performance is worth watching the film alone.
And I haven't even mentioned the brilliant, tight script. It's paced perfectly for the content, constantly moving. Ianucci's documenatry style filming also really works here.
THe only thing missing in this film is a strong emotional core for the audience to latch on to. All of its madcap characters can only do so much. In the end, one gets up still smiling, but it lacks the punch of a truly transcendental comedy.

But, fuck, you will laugh.
8.4/10

In other news, I'm still working out my thoughts on Judd Apatow's newest Funny People. I liked it, to be sure, but some things didn't work.
Also, it appears Eskimo Snow has been leaked. I've listened to it four times already, just to make sure I've absorbed it as much as possible before judging. Living up to last year's Alopecia was no easy task for Why?, I'm sure; and I can already tell you that he has not succeeded in doing that, even though all of these songs were recorded at the same time. Oh well.

More on that later