History Film / InTheLoop

* 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 Simon 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.]]
** Gen. Miller comes off as a rational career soldier who is not proud of what he's had to do in the past, but accepts it. He opposes the war both on the grounds that there simply aren't enough soldiers to carry it out and that the majority of those who will will die. Although he plans to resign if war is declared, he ultimately decides he cannot because his first sworn duty is to his soldiers and his country.

* CelebrityParadox: when Simon is trying to think of who he would want to be stuck on a desert island with, Judy vetoes Kiera Knightley. Knightley previously appeared opposite Tom Hollander in 2005's ''Film/PrideAndPrejudice''.

* AnachronismStew: There is no clear indication of the year on which the film takes place; the film circles around a possible western intervention in an unspecified country. As it parallels the real intervention in Iraq, it would put it in 2003; yet by a reference by Malcolm about YouTube (which was launched in 2005) and the noticeably widespread use of text messaging puts it in a considerably later date, which could be surmised as late 2000's, the time when the film itself was released.

--> '''Malcolm:''' Well, if you want to try and turn this into some anti-war protest, expect to hear your "mountain of conflict" soundbite ''everywhere''. From ring tones to, fucking, [[MemeticMutation a dance mix on]] YouTube. And I will marshal all the media forces of darkness to [[CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon hound you to an assisted suicide]].

* JerkassHasAPoint: Malcolm pointing out that resigning to make a statement is useless, since Simon staying in office means that he has the power and position to influence.
** Malcolm also rightly points out that it's not Simon's place, as a minor minister, to either declare or not declare war.

** A deleted scene makes reference to ''Creator/ThereWillBeBlood'', which came out in 2007, with the implication that the film came out semi-recently.

* {{Farce}}

** Malcolm's "probationary notice" to Toby: "You understand? I own you, you're my [[Series/{{Roots}} Kunta Kinte]] - go and get your fucking laptop!" Which is also a StealthPun, because in ''Roots'', Kunta Kinte's slave name was Toby.

Tom Hollander joins the cast as Simon Foster, the hapless Minister for International Development. Creator/PeterCapaldi 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).

** It includes what Creator/ArmandoIannucci refers to as "the LoveActually scene" in which Malcolm (walking past the Capitol in Washington) is seen on the phone to Judy (jogging past the Houses of Parliament in London).

'''Jamie:''' "'''''Shut it, ''LoveActually''! DO YOU WANT ME TO HOLEPUNCH YOUR FACE?!'''''"

--> '''Malcolm Tucker:''' Do you know what you sounded like? You sounded like a fucking Nazi JulieAndrews!

* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: [[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 ''DrStrangelove''-inspired trailer instead.

** There's also a deleted scene where Malcolm trashes ''{{Atonement}}''. Which may be a subtle ActorAllusion since Gina McKee (Judy) appeared in that movie.

->''This is the trouble with civilians wanting to go to war. Once you've been there, you never want to go again unless you absolutely have to. [[TakeThat It's like France.]]''
-->--'''General Miller'''

** [[ReplacementFlatCharacter Toby]] is noticeably more self-righteous, smug and cowardly than Olly Reeder. He also treats his girlfriend like crap, something which (mostly) cannot be said for Olly.

'''Toby:''' ''(Puzzled)'' "What's 'Oxbridge' about saying 'hello'?"\\

** [[ReplacementFlatCharacter Toby]] is noticeably more self-righteous, smug and cowardly than Olly Reeder. He also treats his girlfriend like crap, something which cannot be said for Olly.

* ControlFreak: Linton, to the extent that he objects to ''IHeartHuckabees'' being listed as an appropriate [=DVD=] for the American military roster. Purely because he thinks it's self-indulgent rubbish.

** The US [[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 DrStrangelove, as did many critics making favourable comparisons.

* 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. Judy remarks of Washington that "It's like Film/BugsyMalone, but with real guns."

* {{Portmanteau}}: the original TV series coined the phrase "omnishambles." The movie attempts to do the same with "catastrofuck." (A variant, "clusterfuck", is also heard but was popular before this film.)

** The British bureaucrats compare the ImprobableAge of the White House staff to "Film/BugsyMalone, but with real guns".

** A deleted scene makes reference to "There Will Be Blood", which came out in 2007, with the implication that the film came out semi-recently.