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IN THE LOOPMovie Reviews
Comedy about the run-up to the Iraq War, a political satire in the form of a mockumentary. Cast:Peter Capaldi, James Gandolfini, Tom Hollander, David Rasche, Gina McKeeDirector:Armando IannucciRelease Date:July 24, 2009DVD Release:January 12, 2010From:IFCLength:1 hr 46 min
In the Loop played in key cities to excellent reviews. • Bill Goodykoontz wrote in the Arizona Republic, "It's fantastic stuff, so over-the-top, so scabrous, so bitterly brilliant that you have to assume that, on some level, it rings true." • And Rene Rodriguez wrote in the Miami Herald, "...furiously smart, sharp and makes such creative use of the English language that even George Carlin would have blushed." More Reviews Below...
In the Loop Positive Reviews (40 Reviews, reviews below)
Richard Corliss, Time: OUTSTANDING "...a hoot: cruel people making funny cracks about life-and-death issues. You'll feel smarter just getting in synch with its hurtful, healing sense of humor."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,122 words, 07/24/09
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...invites its audience to think, and presumes a certain love of Monty Python. Not to mention an appreciation of 'Dr. Strangelove.' "(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 387 words, 07/24/09
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "We get the joy of watching them all scurry around in the name of diplomacy, or power, or whatever. They may be buffoons, but they're never boring."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 541 words, 07/23/09
Lisa Rosman, Us Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Filled with clever wordplay and brash one-liners ('You sound like a Nazi Julie Andrews!')... hard-hitting and clever political satire, echoes 1997's hit 'Wag the Dog.' "(See all of Lisa Rosman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 69 words, 07/23/09
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...intermittently funny and biting political satire... If you can get past its relentless quality, 'In the Loop' is a blisteringly funny skewering of the venal side of politics."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 407 words, 07/24/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (10 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "The plot is as intricate and elegant as a computer circuit board, though at times it looks more like a tangle of crossed wires."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,072 words, 07/24/09
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "Peter Capaldi is an unforgettable force of nature as the furiously foul-mouthed spin doctor.... every single member of the cast is invaluable..."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 384 words, 07/24/09
Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a smart and sharp jab at the suits and skirts who make a career out of manipulating the facts and affecting history for their own personal gain... a solid comedic punch."(See all of Richard Roeper's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 690 words, 07/24/09
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...very effective, blood-stained... a little brazen scheming on one side, coupled with selfishness and failure of nerve on the other, can actually change the world."(See all of Michael Ordoña's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 369 words, 07/24/09
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the smartest and funniest movie inspired by the Iraq war.... the prime minister's foul-mouthed chief spokesman is brilliantly played by Scottish actor Peter Capaldi."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 400 words, 07/24/09
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...just plausible enough to be painful -- isn't for all tastes, it's a little bit of heaven to hear screen characters spew such eloquently vicious bile."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 679 words, 07/24/09
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the Brits long ago lost their status as major players on the globe's political scene. Happily, what hasn't gone is their wicked wit..."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 773 words, 08/21/09
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: OUTSTANDING "...reminds us that loose lips don't just sink ships -- they also launch them.... an acidly funny satire about politics and pomposity..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 705 words, 07/22/09
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post: FAIR(cg) "...tremendous fun, at times... But it has no view of politics, no seriousness, no message and in the end, no redeeming value beyond entertainment."(See all of Philip Kennicott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 636 words, 07/24/09
Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The language is brilliant, and the laugh lines come so quickly that you'd probably have to watch the movie twice to get them all."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 581 words, 08/07/09
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: OUTSTANDING(cg) "It's fantastic stuff, so over-the-top, so scabrous, so bitterly brilliant that you have to assume that, on some level, it rings true."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 470 words, 10/16/09
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "Bouncing between London and Washington at a velocity typically seen only in Chinese table tennis, the film is fast, funny, and about as deep as a 10-pound note."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 240 words, 07/31/09
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...actor Peter Capaldi unfurls dazzling verbal ribbons of the foulest language imaginable, thunderbolts of vulgarity that carry the force of precision carpet-bombing."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 738 words, 07/24/09
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...one of the best political comedies since the invention of the sprocket hole.... packed with irredeemable hypocrites, hacks, schemers and milquetoasts..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 456 words, 07/31/09
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Hilarious, savvy, sharp-edged political satires are hard to come by, which is why I have to say this in large letters: GO SEE 'IN THE LOOP.' "(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 386 words, 08/14/09
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "...one of those should-I-laugh-or-cry satires.... a dense and often quite funny spoof. (At least I think it's a spoof...)"(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 209 words, 08/07/09
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "...doesn't waste its breath mocking the obvious targets.... the effect of so many clustered cuss words and fiery F-bombs is shock and awe."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 331 words, 08/07/09
Robert W. Butler, St. Petersburg Times: EXCELLENT(cg) "The queen's English gets a deliriously profane workout... a savage political satire that makes a convincing argument that the idiots are in charge."(See all of Robert W. Butler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 343 words, 09/03/09
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Kubrick's 'Dr. Strangelove' set the bar high in 1964. But damned if ln theLoop doesn't at least nip at its skirts.... devilishly clever.... deserves to be a sleeper hit."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 297 words, 07/10/09
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "Six years ago, Armando Iannucci's slick and merciless satire might have drawn more blood, but even now it blows away the recent competition..."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 144 words, 07/23/09
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: OUTSTANDING "...reminds us that loose lips don't just sink ships -- they also launch them.... an acidly funny satire about politics and pomposity..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 705 words, 07/22/09
Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...proffers sharp satire as it skewers British and U.S. red-tape... But its whiplash, joke-a-second pace may eventually have you tuning out instead of gasping for breath."(See all of Tricia Olszewski's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 428 words, 07/23/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (6 Reviews)
Bob Mondello, NPR All Things Considered: OUTSTANDING "Imagine a mashup of 'Dr. Strangelove' and 'Wag the Dog,' and you've got the general idea... The performances are explosively funny..."(See all of Bob Mondello's reviews...)(Listen to the full review...) 254 seconds, 07/23/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "The plot is as intricate and elegant as a computer circuit board, though at times it looks more like a tangle of crossed wires."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,072 words, 07/24/09
Joanne Kaufman, Wall Street Journal: FAIR "...starts off at such a frantic pace and at so high a pitch that it really doesn't have anywhere to go. And it's filled with characters whose presence grows wearying."(See all of Joanne Kaufman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 309 words, 07/24/09
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: WEAK "...began as a BBC drama series, 'The Thick of It,' and, as tends to happen when the small screen is stretched to the big, there are problems with elastication."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 725 words, 07/20/09
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...very effective, blood-stained... a little brazen scheming on one side, coupled with selfishness and failure of nerve on the other, can actually change the world."(See all of Michael Ordoña's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 369 words, 07/24/09
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...very effective, blood-stained... a little brazen scheming on one side, coupled with selfishness and failure of nerve on the other, can actually change the world."(See all of Michael Ordoña's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 369 words, 07/24/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "The plot is as intricate and elegant as a computer circuit board, though at times it looks more like a tangle of crossed wires."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,072 words, 07/24/09
Joanne Kaufman, Wall Street Journal: FAIR "...starts off at such a frantic pace and at so high a pitch that it really doesn't have anywhere to go. And it's filled with characters whose presence grows wearying."(See all of Joanne Kaufman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 309 words, 07/24/09
15.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
In the Loop's reviews are separated by an average 15.6 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
In the Loop (40 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:In the Loop's reviews cover 85.8% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 18,680 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 467 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
In the Loop Coverage, Volume & Length (40 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 20.2 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
In the Loop's reviews on average broke 20.2 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is In the Loop's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
In the Loop (40 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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