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Tom Hollander joins the cast as Simon Foster, the hapless Minister for International Development. Peter Capaldi returns as Malcolm Tucker, the Prime Minister's Director of Communications, who is called upon to stop Foster fucking things up. Foster is also joined by his junior aide Toby Wright, played by Chris Addison.
 
When Foster makes two contradictory statements regarding a possible war in an unspecified Middle Eastern country, he finds himself summoned to a fact-finding mission in Washington, where he is used to push arguments both for and against the war. As the Brits comes face to face with their infinitely more powerful US counterparts, including the hawkish Linton Barwick (David Rasche) and the dovish General Miller (James Gandolfini), they realiserealize they are totally out of their depth.
 
As the movie is a spin-off set in the same universe as the series, the two share many tropes. Tropes that originated in the TV series may be better placed on the page for ''[[The Thick of It]]''.
 
 
----
{{tropelist}}
'''This movie contains examples of:'''
* [[Angrish]]: Malcolm's gift for baroque swearing briefly deserts him in the Meditation Room.
* [[Antiquated Linguistics]]: This is how Malcolm sees the use of the word "purview" by Simon's aide, Judy Malloy:
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{{quote|'''Malcolm Tucker''': [[Actually Pretty Funny|Falling asleep on someone doesn't count.]]}}
* [[Ax Crazy]]: Jamie. In one famous scene he's even [[Incredibly Lame Pun|fax]] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lNDXc7a8p4 crazy].
* [[Bad News in a Good Way]]: {{spoiler|After Michael admits to leaking PWIP-PIP, Jamie later barges into his office to cheerfully inform him that he isn't fired, asking if that isn't a good thing. Michael notes that it ''sounds'' omniousominous. He's right too.}}
* [[Bastard Understudy]]: Jamie. "My theory is Malcolm built him in a lab, from bits of old psychopaths."
* [[Blonde Republican Sex Kitten]]: Liza Weld. Not that her party are the Republicans, of course.
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{{quote|'''Linton:''' Glass offices, in my opinion, are for ''perverts''.
'''Bob:''' I could request the glass be frosted.
'''Linton:''' ''Frosting is on cakes.'' }}
* [[Cluster F-Bomb]]: "Hey buddy, [[Lampshade Hanging|enough of the curse words]], alright?" No, it's not alright: practically every line uttered by Malcolm or Jamie is a [[Cluster F-Bomb]]. Malcolm's response to the gentleman who confronts him about this is no exception: {{spoiler|"Kiss my sweaty balls, you fat fuck!"}}
* [[Comedic Sociopathy]]: With his big baldy head, Sir Jonathan Tutt is a magnet for it.
* [[Compensating for Something]]: Toby makes some sniggering comments of this nature about the Washington Monument. Malcolm bluntly shuts him up by caustically remarking that the only way Toby is ever likely to get anything remotely similar to commemorate his life is if "you buy a fucking Toblerone."
* [[Compliment Backfire]]: "What am I? Tit meat?"
* [[Control Freak]]: Linton, to the extent that he objects to ''[[I Heart Huckabees]]'' being listed as an appropriate DVD for the American military roster. Purely because he thinks it's self-indulgent rubbish.
** "We've got to get hold of those minutes, I have to correct the record."
* [[Country Matters]]
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* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Pretty much everyone (except Jamie and Malcolm, who prefer to shout instead), but particularly Karen and Gen. Miller.
{{quote|'''Gen. Miller:''' [''discussing the amount of troops available for an invasion into Unspecifiedistan''] Twelve thousand troops. But that's not enough. That's the amount that are going to die. And at the end of a war you need some soldiers left, really. Or it looks like you've lost.}}
* [[Determinator]]: MalcomMalcolm. He may be a sonofabitch, but he's devoted to his job to the point of near-insanity.
{{quote|"I hope you're working as hard as I am. I'm sweating spinal fluid."}}
* [[Dirty Coward]]: So very many, from Toby giving PWIP PIP to his ex-girlfriend so he doesn't have to leak it himself, to Michael Rodgers MP following Jamie's orders so he can save his political career. The Doves all know how they can stop the war, but would rather go along with it and save their careers.
** "I'm on the verge of taking a stand."
** Notably highlighted in a scene where Toby, Simon and Judy are on their way to the UN, and Simon is hesitantly floating the notion that maybe it would be much braver to change his publicly expressed views and come down in support the war. Both Simon and Toby pointedly ignore [[Only Sane Man|Judy]] when she bluntly points out that no, it wouldn't be.
*** Simon Foster's actions here are a [[No Celebrities Were Harmed|thinly-veiled reference]] to [https://web.archive.org/web/20120807022051/http://www.timeout.com/film/features/show-feature/7258/armando-iannucci-on-in-the-loop.html Clare Short MP].
* [[Downer Ending]]
* [[Eagle Land]]: Being an incredibly [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism|cynical]] film the US is portrayed as being closer to FlavourFlavor 2, complete with power-crazed warmongers and an overweight American tourist... but being a rather [[Self-Deprecation|self-loathing]] film, the Brits are portrayed as being no better.
* [[Establishing Character Moment]]: "How'd your team do at the weekend?" "Alright, we won!" "Yeah? Hehehehe... ''wanker''."
* [[Establishing Shot]]: The film opens with a shot of Malcolm sweeping into [[Whitehall|Number 10]] in his [[Badass Longcoat]]. It continues in this vein as the action moves between [[Whitehall]], [[the White House]], the UN building and Simon's constituency in Northamptonshire.
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** This trope is [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]] by Toby and Simon when they note that their hotel suite ''just about'' has a view of the Capitol.
** It is also [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]] by Toby after they all fly back to the UK: "From [[The White House|White House]] to Shite House".
* [[Expy]]: Several of the cast for their equivalents in ''[[The Thick of It]]'':
** Toby is Olly Reeder.
** Roz is Terri Coverley.
** Michael is Glen Cullen.
** Sir Jonathan Tutt is Julius, Lord Nicholson of Arnage.
* [[Eye Take]]: There is a positvelypositively ''epic'' one in the Meditation Room scene.
* [[Farce]]
* [[Fish Out of Water]]: All of the British characters in the US, but Simon Foster flaps about the most helplessly.
* [[Foe Yay]]: Jamie to Judy: "I'm quite aroused by the idea of giving you a long... hard... disciplinary hearing"
** Followed by a nice moment for Judy, when she actually manages to ''shut Jamie up'' by coolly remarking that she would [[Too Kinky to Torture|quite enjoy]] the "big... fat... compensation payment" she would receive as a result.
* [[Fun with Acronyms]]: PWIP PIP.
* [[Gilligan Cut]]: Malcolm asks Sir Jonathan Tutt to reschedule the UN vote. "It cannot be done and it will not be done", but it is. ''Twice''.
* [[Girly Run]]: "Where's the War Committee?" Malcolm gets lost in Washington... and again at the UN.
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{{quote|'''Jamie''': Right, that's enough of the fucking Oxbridge pleasantries...
'''Toby''': ''[Puzzled]'' What's 'Oxbridge' about saying 'hello'?
'''Jamie''': '''''Shut it, ''[[Love Actually]]''! DO YOU WANT ME TO HOLEPUNCH YOUR FACE?!''''' }}
** Paul Michaelson also has a [[Hair-Trigger Temper]], primed to take offense at ''anything anyone'' says.
* [[Hauled Before a Senate Subcommittee]]: Inverted: everyone's ''dying'' to be part of the so-called 'Future Planning Committee', better known as the War Committee.
* [[Heroic BSOD]]: Although not strictly a hero, as his career rapidly takes a dive-plunge straight down the crapper Simon Foster ends up in the U.N Mediation Room frantically eating mints, [[Thousand-Yard Stare|staring blankly into space]] and remarking that his internal thoughts seem to be an endless loop of him shouting "Oh, shit!" at himself in a distant voice "like a car alarm in the middle of the night".
* [[Homage Shot]]: "Don't raise your voice. This is a sacred place." Linton reminds Malcolm that you can't fight in here, this is the Meditation Room.
** The US [https://web.archive.org/web/20130708135659/http://www.ifcfilms.com/videos/in-the-loop-trailer trailer] and [http://media.ifcfilms.com/images/films/film-media-movie-poster-large/in-the-loop-poster_280x415.jpg poster] also reference ''[[Dr. Strangelove]]'', as did many critics making favourablefavorable comparisons.
* [[Hypocritical Humor]]: At one point, Simon assures Malcolm that he didn't become a minister by screwing up every public appearance he makes; however, in pretty much every public or official appearance that we see him make he's inarticulate, incompetent and only manages to bollocks things up for himself and everyone.
** Paul Michaelson: "Am I calm? I'm fucking ZEN!"
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* [[Ice Cream Koan]]: "In the Kingdom of Truth, the man with one fact is king." Linton likes to deliver these, which is probably why his [[Professional Butt-Kisser|butt kisser]] Chad is fond of them too. Chad's tend to be much, much worse, though:
{{quote|'''Toby Wright:''' You speak entirely in parables, don't you? You're like a crap Jesus.
'''Malcolm Tucker:''' "All roads lead to Munich?" What the fuck does that mean? }}
 
 
'''Malcolm Tucker:''' "All roads lead to Munich?" What the fuck does that mean? }}
* [[Improv]]
* [[I'm Standing Right Here]]: "I'm here, I'm there, I'm fuckin' ''everywhere''. I'm [[The Beatles|the Eggman]]!"
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* [[Lean and Mean]]: Malcolm, as a result of stress, [[Girly Run|running everywhere]], and [[Forgets to Eat|existing on a diet of coffee]].
* [[Leave Him to Me]]: Malcolm directs Simon Foster to steer clear of Linton Barwick. "I'll deal with him."
* [[Life Imitates Art]]: The [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8105227.stm MPs expenses scandal] revealed two beautiful examples:
** Simon Foster avoids watching a hotel's porn channel for fear that it will "show up in the register of interests". [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7970731.stm Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's husband wasn't quite so careful].
** [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2009/may/08/mandelson-expenses-in-the-loop Lord Mandelson's claims] for gardening expenses revealed he had been through a "diplomatic crisis" with a neighbour over neglect of his garden. His predicament was eerily similar to Simon Foster's as he struggled with Paul Michaelson (Steve Coogan) and his collapsing garden wall.
* [[Made From Real Girl Scouts]]: Jamie assures Malcolm that he will be gentle with Simon and Toby: "Oh, you know me, Malc. Kid gloves... but made from real kids."
* [[Married to the Job]]: Chad and all the young WhitehouseWhite House staffers. And Malcolm for that matter.
* [[Men Are Uncultured]]: Jamie: "What's the name of the fuck with the fiddle?" Michael Rodgers knows that it ''happens to be'' Debussy.
** Jamie's [http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=24542 meditation on cinema]: "I went to see ''[[There Will Be Blood]]'' ... there wasn't any fucking blood!"
*** And his views on opera: "It's ''just vowels! '''SubsidisedSubsidized foreign vowels'''!''"
* [[Mistaken Nationality]]: Malcolm has no problem with swearing but takes offenceoffense at being called ''the E-word''.
* [[Newspeak]]: It's not the 'War' Committee; it's the 'Future Planning Committee'.
* [[The Nicknamer]]: Toby's name is not Foetus Boy, [[Harry Potter|Ron Weasely]], Twatboy Slim or The Baby From [[Eraserhead]], but Malcolm doesn't seem to care. He extends this selective amnesia to practically everyone he encounters, including Baldemort, General Flintstone and J Edgar fuckin' Hoover.
{{quote|"Rob, Innes, Little Bo Cock Jockey and The Leaky fuckin' Minge Box, go back to your desks and prepare briefing."}}
** Toby also receives a "Go fuck yourself, Frodo" from General Miller.
* [[Nobody Poops]]: The writers ''really'' like subverting this trope.
* [[No Celebrities Were Harmed]]
** To expand on this a little, Malcolm Tucker is pretty widely seen as being a caricature of Alistair Campbell, [[Tony Blair]]'s former press director. And it's pretty easy to see Linton Barwick as a Doug Feith or Paul Wolfowitz. Also, the whole film is a pretty thinly-veiled portrayal of the buildup to Iraq.
* [[No Party Given]]: As with the British government in the TV show, we never directly learn the political party of the governing U.S Administration. But, given the nature of the events depicted, we can take a pretty good guess.
* [[Oh Crap]]: Happens whenever a particularly bad piece of news is received (iei.e. ''very'' frequently).
* [[Nobody Poops]]: The writers ''really'' like subverting this trope.
** A slightly different one happens when Malcolm and General Miller finally have the face-to-face confrontation they've been building up to. Miller says [[Badass Boast|"I'll punch you in the face so hard you'll be shitting teeth"]], which Malcolm is completely unperturbed by because he makes [[Cut His Heart Out with a Spoon]] threats all the time, and it would be extremely damaging to Miller's career. However, one staring match later, Malcolm realisesrealizes that Miller actually would do it, regardless of the political damage. His attempt at brushing it off and ending the conversation is handled fairly well, but he is clearly backing down. This makes [[Badass|Miller]] possibly the only character in either the film or the [[The Thick of It|TV series]] to [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|make Malcolm run away from an argument.]]
* [[Oh Crap]]: Happens whenever a particularly bad piece of news is received (ie. ''very'' frequently).
** A slightly different one happens when Malcolm and General Miller finally have the face-to-face confrontation they've been building up to. Miller says [[Badass Boast|"I'll punch you in the face so hard you'll be shitting teeth"]], which Malcolm is completely unperturbed by because he makes [[Cut His Heart Out with a Spoon]] threats all the time, and it would be extremely damaging to Miller's career. However, one staring match later, Malcolm realises that Miller actually would do it, regardless of the political damage. His attempt at brushing it off and ending the conversation is handled fairly well, but he is clearly backing down. This makes [[Badass|Miller]] possibly the only character in either the film or the [[The Thick of It|TV series]] to [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|make Malcolm run away from an argument.]]
* [[Older Than They Look]]: The actors playing the young [[The White House|White House]] staffers ("Your master race of highly-gifted toddlers") are all Older Than They Look. As is Chris Addison.
* [[One-Scene Wonder]]: Steve Coogan is in the movie for probably five minutes at tops. He's nevertheless one of the best things in it, which is pretty impressive considering what he's up against.
* [[Only Sane Man|Only Sane Woman]]: Judy appears to be one of the only people in the movie with her head screwed on fully. Needless to say, everyone pretty much ignores or abuses her and Toby spends most of the movie actively plotting against her. {{spoiler|She ends up having the last laugh over him as the whole thing ends up completely destroying his career while she emerges unscathed.}}
* [[Professional Butt-Kisser]]: Chad. His desperate methods to get closer to Linton Barwick include carrying a squash racquet in the hope that Linton will see it and fancy a game. Unfortunately he forgets to take the price tags off first. {{spoiler|Ironically, for all his sucking up and [[Smug Snake]] behaviourbehavior, he ends up being shafted and left with the losing side, whereas Liza -- who he has spent the entire movie trying to smugly lord it over -- ends up getting the position with Linton he's coveted.}}
* [[Playing Against Type]]: James Gandolfini as Pentagon Dove General Miller
* [[Professional Butt-Kisser]]: Chad. His desperate methods to get closer to Linton Barwick include carrying a squash racquet in the hope that Linton will see it and fancy a game. Unfortunately he forgets to take the price tags off first. {{spoiler|Ironically, for all his sucking up and [[Smug Snake]] behaviour, he ends up being shafted and left with the losing side, whereas Liza -- who he has spent the entire movie trying to smugly lord it over -- ends up getting the position with Linton he's coveted.}}
** "He's wearing his push-up bra today!"
* [[Separated by a Common Language]]: The film gets in a reminder that [[Take That|no-one swears like the British]]:
{{quote|'''Karen Clarke''': "You just sat there like a... what do you call it in [[Britain Versus the UK|England]]? A ''wanker''!"<br />
'''Simon Foster''': "No, we don't call it that." }}
* [[Shown Their Work]]: [[Armando Iannucci]] ensured he could create a realistic portrayal of the US State Department [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/5295148/Comedian-sneaks-into-US-State-department.html by illegally infiltrating it]. By using a fake BBC pass he was able to get past security and spend an hour inside taking photographs: "Part of me thought it was fun, another part thought it was probably international espionage."
** James Gandolfini visited the Pentagon (legally) while researching for the part of General Miller. He went as far as getting a haircut from the Pentagon barber and having some scary conversations with generals. His recollection of one who couldn't actually remember if he'd killed anyone later inspired one of Malcolm's "Have you ever even actually killed anyone?" in the film.
* [[Smug Snake]]: Chad. He likes to brag about his plans to become a senior aide to Linton, but his role as Linton's chief kiss-ass just antagonisesantagonizes pretty much everyone... except Linton, who barely registers his existence, and can't even [[My Name Is Not Durwood|remember his name]].
* [[Trailers Always Spoil]]: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQrqMkCuHqA The UK trailer] is pretty much the whole film condensed into two minutes. Lucky non-UK audiences got the delightful ''[[Dr. Strangelove]]''-inspired trailer instead.
* [[Unnecessary Censorship]]: Linton, who hates cursing to the extent of calling Malcolm a "useless piece of ''S-star-star-T''". Malcolm's later response is fantastic:
{{quote|'''Malcolm''': Y'know, I've come across a lot of psychos, but none as fucking boring as you. You are a real boring fuck. Sorry, sorry, I know you disapprove of swearing so I'll sort that out. {{spoiler|You are a boring F-star-star-CUNT!}}}}
* [[Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist]]: Most of the cast but Toby arguably comes across as the most dislikable, being the particularly obnoxious combination of selfish, weak ''and'' self righteous.
* [[Unusual Euphemism]]:
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:In the Loop]]{{PAGENAME}}
[[Category:Film]]
[[Category:Films of the 2000s]]
[[Category:In the Loop]]