I would describe this film as a political satire. It is comedic, but for some reason I don't want to call it a comedy. I am not big into politics, so that aspect of this film didn't hook me in at all. The film seemed to keep adding characters that I was supposed to keep track of. After a little bit of this I stopped caring and just tried to enjoy the spirited conversations. This also got old, and then there wasn't anything left for me to be invested in. For me it felt more like a television show than a movie. I got this sense that it was several smaller episodes jammed into one. It seemed somewhat reminiscent of the original Office, except about politics. I was not surprised to found out after watching it, that In The Loop is a spinoff of the television series The Thick Of it.
Strangely, I can really see how some people would love this film. If you have seen it, and you liked it, I don't think less of you at all. It seemed like a well-made film. The structure seemed fine, but then again I stopped caring about the plot about 20 minutes in. Every now and then a conversation would catch my attention and I would watch for a while with a smile on my face. Without fail I would once again disengage and my mind would wander. If you are feeling like you have all this focus that you need to direct at something, then this film might be a good pick for you.
There was a pretty awesome character in this film. His life goal seems to be dropping the "f-bomb" more than any other human being ever has. He is Scottish, and he is awesome... which is slightly redundant. Too bad he wasn't on screen more. He is so prolific at using the f-word that he integrates it into a phone farewell. Yes, I will now be ending all of my phone conversations with "fuckety-bye". I have no clue what it means, but I am pretty sure the other person is going to hang up after they hear it.
There is another interesting character, Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky) from 1991's My Girl. I have to admit, I had a little crush on her when I first saw the movie back in the day. Amazingly, the actress looks exactly the same some 19 years later. Yes, she is now grown, but the face is basically unchanged. Oddly, that quality that once made her cute in childhood now makes her creepy. It was off-putting, and kinda nasty. I didn't like having to look at her.
In summary... I forgot what I was even talking about. Tomorrow is Friday, enjoy your weekend. I'm hoping to get up the cajones to go watch Shutter Island on opening weekend.