stage. although this time the action swings hetween Britain and Ameriea in the diplomatie hoopla surrounding the huild-up to a non- speeilied Middle liastern invasion.
"l'he tnore I read ahout how we stumhled into lraqf says lannueei. ‘the more I realised it was either a truly dreadful story that would tnake you depressed. or it's hilarious heeause it's just sttipid. When I realised it was the latter. I had my story).
'l‘he film pulls no punehes on the 'speeial relationship‘ hetween Britain and Ameriea. with British politieians eotning in fora real kieking.
"l'ony Blair and .laek Straw just got starstruekf says lannueei ineredulously. "l'hey got a hit woo/y and thought. "lley. we're in the White House. this is good. isn't it?" and lost their dignity. I went to Washington to meet people who worked in the state department. They eouldn't understand what was in it for Blair. Normally deals are made and hoth parties get something. hut tis Brits got nothing.‘
Not that the Yanks fare mueh hetter the film evenly depiets the haplessness of government officials on hollt sides of the pond. litttntleci reveals that during his researeh. he was truly frightened hy the levels of inexperienee and ineptitude apparent amongst I’S offieials.
‘Quite a lot of Ameriean government is run hy very smart 23-year-olds who have degrees in things like Strategie 'l’errorism Studies. hut don't know what to do with a washing maehinef he laughs. 'We met one person who was 32 who was sent to Iraq to help draw tip the eonstitution. and were told ahout a 23-year—old given the IS government‘s (‘entral Ameriean hudget to handle. heeause everyone else was husy.’
One reason for In the Loo/fs sueeess at Sundanee was perhaps down to lannueei's unllinehing look at the hutnhling oafs in eharge of hoth eountries’. It‘s a view often expressed in Britain since the suhlime I'm. Minister (of which lannueei is a massive fan. and whieh 'I'In' 'IIn't'k of]! is a natural sueeessor to). hut not a view frequently eehoed hy' hig movies.
‘I deliherately wanted to portray the Washington side in the same way I portray the British side.‘ he says. ‘This is how it works. its a hit shatnholie. ()n a day-to-day hasis there are just as many ruhhish people there as in any other institution. I‘ve not really seen that done in movies hefore. The portrayal of Washington is either very nohle or else very malevolent. and the truth is it’s just a little hit ruhhish. full of people not fit for life outside hureaueraey.’
'l‘he east. ineluding Steve (‘oogan. 'l‘om llollander and James "l‘he Sopranos‘ (iandollini as an Ameriean general. were put through their paees during the six-week shoot last year.
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‘YOU CAN DO COMEDY ABOUT SERIOUS THINGS AND IT DOESNT DEMEAN THEM'
Similar to the making of The 'I'Iin'k oI'It. In IIn' loop was partially improvised hy' aetors.
‘With eaeh seene we shoot it as seripted first. then put the seript aside.‘ says lannueei. "l'hen I ask the east to improvise around it. really to rough it up a hit. make it more eonversational. There‘s no magie formula. Sometimes I go for the seript: other times a mix of seript and improvisation. lt‘s lahour intensive at the editing stage. hut hopefully you arrive at something that feels. despite all that work. spontaneous.‘
In the wake of the Iraq war there have heen numerous films on the suhjeet. hut In the [no/I is the first eomedy take on events. something whieh lannueei thinks plays in its favour.
"l‘here were so many well intentioned hut deeply serious films hased on ‘)/l l and Iraq.~ he says. ‘lt seemed the Ameriean audienee warmed to In the Loop heeause it was entertainment.
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lannueei‘s satire has never heen overhlown. hut
ENES The List's Film Editor Paul Dale selects his highlights from the Glasgow Film Festival programme.
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Armando lannucci (opposite, pictured on right) encouraged Peter Capaldi (above) and James Gandolfini (opposite, main picture) to improvise around the script to make the dialogue more conversational
is always perfeetly pitehed. so the viewer isn‘t entirely sure whether the whole thing eould he true or not. In the Loop maintains that style wonderfully. and it’s a style that has often made lannueei seem preseient. all the way haek to Alan Partridge desperately pitehing .IIUIIIU’X ’Ii'nnis as an idea for a lowest-eommon- denominator show to a BB(‘ exeeutive. ‘I know for a fact that .l/IUIIIU’)‘ 'Ii'nnis has now heen pitehed seriously ahout three or four times.‘ laughs lannueei. How does that make him feel. I wonder. ()ueasy‘.’ l’roud'.’ ‘lt makes me feel mostly ashamed.‘ he deadpans.
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