History Film / InTheLoop

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 from giving any statements to the press... or to the Americans... or [[YouTalkTooMuch talking in general]]. Foster is also joined by his senior aide, Judy Molloy (Gina [=McKee=]), and [[TheMillstone millstone]]--er, junior aide Toby Wright (Chris Addison).

* BlondeRepublicanSexKitten: Liza Weld. Not that her party are the Republicans, of course.

* IAmSpartacus: Referenced in the infamous fax machine scene.

* IResembleThatRemark: Truth be told, General Miller and James Gandolfini do resemble Fred Flintstone.

'''Malcolm Tucker:''' "All roads lead to Munich?" What the fuck does that mean?"
* {{Improv}}

* ImStandingRightHere: "I'm here, I'm there, I'm fuckin' ''everywhere''. I'm [[Music/TheBeatles the Eggman]]!"

* IResembleThatRemark: Malcolm calls Miller "General Flintstone". James Gandolfini does, indeed, closely resemble the cartoon character and his voice is even reminiscent of Fred Flintstone's original voice actor, Alan Reed.

** Malcolm of InTheLoop seemingly has absolutely no moral principles beyond his own job. Notably, unlike his TV counterpart, he never shows any empathy or sympathy for anyone. (What appears to be momentary lapses in this usually turnout to be manipulation.)

** Similarly, Malcolm of InTheLoop seemingly has absolutely no moral principles beyond his own job. Notably, unlike his TV counterpart, he never shows any empathy or sympathy for anyone. (What appears to be momentary lapses in this usually turnout to be manipulation.)

* HypocriticalHumor: 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.

* ImprobableAge: The British bureaucrats, especially Malcolm, are all creeped out that White House staffers seem way too young to have their level of authority. Malcolm mockingly calls them a "master race of highly gifted toddlers" when speaking to Linton Barwick. Barwick insists the 22-year-old staffer he had Malcolm meet with is one of the "brightest and best", but the underlying implication is that he was simply trying to get Malcolm out of his hair and divert him from the Future Planning Committee.

** Toby's name is not Foetus Boy, [[Franchise/HarryPotter Ron Weasely]], Twatboy Slim or The Baby From Film/{{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.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Malcolm Tucker is pretty widely seen as being a caricature of Alistair Campbell, TonyBlair'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 build-up to the war with Iraq.

* InvisiblePresident: Both the US President ''and'' the UK Prime Minister are invisible.'

* LeanAndMean: Malcolm, as a result of stress, [[GirlyRun running everywhere]], and [[ForgetsToEat existing on a diet of coffee]]. Miller says that he looks like a "squeezed dick."

* MarriedToTheJob: Chad and all the young Whitehouse staffers. And Malcolm for that matter.

** General Miller, meanwhile, is dubbed General Flintstone by Malcolm.

* PointyHairedBoss: Simon Foster. Bored with his position and obsessed with PR. He is more worried about getting 'The funny question' right on Question Time than anything else.

* PrecisionFStrike: Malcolm to Lintom Barwick "you are a boring f star star CUNT"
* ProfessionalButtKisser: Chad. His desperate methods to get closer to Linton Barwick include carrying a squash racquet in the hope that Linton will see it and suggest a game. Unfortunately he forgets to take the price tags off first. Even more unfortunately, Linton clearly doesn't notice that Chad even exists in the first place. [[spoiler: Ironically, for all his sucking up and SmugSnake behaviour, he ends up being shafted and left with the losing side, whereas Liza--over whom he has spent the entire movie trying to smugly lord it--ends up getting the position with Linton he's coveted.]]

* VillainousBSOD: In the Meditation Room Malcolm finds himself lost for words, unable to think of a decent threat for Toby, before Toby leaves him staring into space.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: Malcolm ends up doing the dirty work of a man he swore he didn't work for; After repeatedly waffling, Simon's career is all but finished when he's sacked rather than being able to resign to make a statement; Clarke's resignation loses its power when Miller refuses to do so; Liza's working for a man concerned with which movies are on a soldier's approved roster; Toby's career is over before it even begins and he leaves quietly when the new aide arrives. And everyone has to live with the inevitable war that's going to happen, and one Miller knows no one is prepared for.]]

* EyeTake: There is a positively ''epic'' one in the Meditation Room scene.

** And of course, there's this insult by Malcolm, who swears at Linton, but then realises that he disapproves of swearing. Malcolm then does a VerbalBackspace and then ''still'' swears at him.

* AmbiguouslyGay: Lampshaded, with Malcolm and Jamie exchanging "lovey-dovey" pleasantries over the phone (coupled with the fact the film, and especially its deleted scenes, suggest Jamie is the closest thing Malcolm has to an actual friend), and General Miller calling Malcolm gay later on, to which Tucker doesn't seem to react.

* ImNotAfraidOfYou: Simon attempts one of these on Malcolm upon his [[spoilers: getting sacked]]. Predictably, given who he's talking to, it backfires spectacularly.

* DownerEnding

--> '''Miller:''' "What, you think they should make you drag in a bullet-ridden corpse to the Pentagon every five years to renew your soldier's licence?"

---> '''Miller:''' "What, you think they should make you drag in a bullet-ridden corpse to the Pentagon every five years to renew your soldier's licence?"

* OnlySaneMan: 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.]]

* ImprobableAge: The British bureaucrats, especially Malcolm, are all creeped out that White House staffers seem way too young to have their level of authority. Malcolm mockingly calls them a "master race of highly gifted toddlers" when speaking to Iannuci, a more senior American staffer. Iannuci explains that US Senators and Congressman recruit bright young things from IvyLeague universities...and take them with them when they become Secretaries or even President.

* TheCatchPhraseCatchesOn: In-universe. Simon's attempt to undo the damage from his first (anti-war) gaffe becomes a rallying cry for the pro-war forces: "sometimes a country has to be prepared to '''climb the mountain of conflict."''' Linton uses it to try and draw out Simon during the well-attended Future Planning Committee meeting; later we see Linton also has it printed and hung up on his wall.

* BritainVersusTheUK: Not so much subverted as set straight by the Scottish Malcolm: "Don't ever call me fucking ''English'' again".

* LifeImitatesArt: 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.

* PlayingAgainstType: James Gandolfini as Pentagon Dove General Miller.

* TheCatchPhraseCatchesOn: In-universe. Simon's attempt to undo the damage from his first (anti-war) gaffe becomes a rallying cry for the pro-war forces: "sometimes a country has to be prepared to *climb the mountain of conflict."* Linton uses it to draw out Simon during the well-attended Future Planning Committee meeting, later we see Linton also has it printed and hung up on his wall.

* CatchPhraseCatchesOn: In-universe. Simon's attempt to undo the damage from his first (anti-war) gaffe becomes a rallying cry for the pro-war forces: "sometimes a country has to be prepared to *climb the mountain of conflict."* Linton uses it to draw out Simon during the well-attended Future Planning Committee meeting, later we see Linton also has it printed and hung up on his wall.