In the Loop

Synopsis: In the Loop is a 2009 British satirical black comedy film directed by Armando Iannucci. The film is a spin-off from the BBC Television series The Thick of It and satirizes Anglo-American politics in the 21st century and especially the invasion of Iraq. It was nominated for the 2009 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film stars Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, Gina McKee, Chris Addison, David Rasche, and James Gandolfini.
Genre: Comedy
Production: IFC
  Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 16 wins & 41 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.5
Metacritic:
83
Rotten Tomatoes:
94%
NOT RATED
Year:
2009
106 min
$2,251,324
2,915 Views


1 INT. NUMBER TEN CORRIDOR/MALCOLM’S OFFICE - MORNING 1

MALCOLM TUCKER, government director of communications,

is arriving early. He's on the phone. Passes a CIVIL

SERVANT.

MALCOLM:

You're in Mark Hadley's office, yeah?

CIVIL SERVANT 1

Yes.

MALCOLM:

I need to see him.

Another CIVIL SERVANT hands Malcolm a CD. Without

breaking flow Malcolm raises an eyebrow, what's this?

CIVIL SERVANT 2

Monitoring. Simon Foster on The PM

Programme. Wonky Ron on Farming Today.

CIVIL SERVANT 2 walks off.

Malcolm starts to walk through to his office. Malcolm

reaches his office. His assistant SAM is there. He

hands her the CD and she puts it into a CD player and

it starts playing.

MALCOLM:

Well, what are you waiting for son, a

f***ing sex-change?

Civil Servant 1 hurries away.

Malcolm starts listening to the recording of Simon on

the radio.

MALCOLM(CONT’D)

So, Sam. What’s the dynamic Simon

Foster, going to wow us with?

SIMON:

(v/o on radio)

...and of course the big one is

diarrhoea, which is a major health

issue in these countries.

MALCOLM:

Diarrhoea? C’mon, Simon. You’re

International Development. Talk about

food parcels. Not arse-spraying

mayhem...

SAM laughs.

Page 1

IN THE LOOP SHOOTING SCRIPT @ 11/6/08

1 CONTINUED:

1

SIMON (V.O.)

And so if we can tackle the easy

things, like diarrhoea.

MALCOLM:

He said it again. what is this? The

Shitting Forecast?

2

EXT. TOBY & SUZY'S FLAT - MORNING/INT. MICHAEL’S FO 2

OFFICE - MORNING

It’s busy at the Foreign Office. SUZY is in her boss

Michael’s office, getting lots of documents, folders

etc ready. She’s on the phone to TOBY, who’s heading

out of their flat.

INTERCUT PHONE CALL:

SUZY:

You okay? First day at the new

department? You've got that thing

from the SMF you wanted to show them?

TOBY:

Oh yeah. Got my policy papers. Got my

packed lunch. And my comfort blanket -

which is a rug stitched full of

heroin.

SUZY:

Have a good day. Call me if you need

help, yeah?

TOBY:

Cool. Is Michael still in Zurich with

Fatty?

SUZY:

Back this morning. Michael says

Fatty’s in a bad mood. He’s got water

retention.

TOBY:

Christ. I wouldn’t want to be around

when that blows. I can probably

organise some spare tents for the

flood victims. D’you know, Fatty’s

the first Foreign secretary to have

really understood globalisation by

physically achieving it.

Toby heads off. He's feeling chipper. It's a new dawn,

is it not?

Page 2

IN THE LOOP SHOOTING SCRIPT @ 11/6/08

3 INT. DFID OPEN PLAN OFFICE 3

JUDY:

Mark, are you co-ordinating that

millenium goals press release?

Yes.

MARK:

JUDY:

Well co-ordinate it better.

MARK:

Yes, can do.

JUDY:

Is that the Minister? Bloody nail -

has anyone got a nail file?

4 INT. DFID OPEN PLAN OFFICE - MORNING 4

SIMON is arriving with JUDY. Simon carrying his red

dispatch box. Simon’s worried.

SIMON:

Have we heard anything from Malcolm

about last night’s interview?

No not yet.

JUDY:

SIMON:

Perhaps he didn’t hear it.

JUDY:

Or maybe he’s dead.

SIMON:

(with a degree of genuine

hope)

He might be dead. He might have had

that massive stroke we’ve all been

waiting for. It’s in the post.

JUDY:

He’ll want you to row back from the

‘unforeseeable’ thing on Question Time

tonight.

SIMON:

Fine, I can row. I rowed for my

college. Well, I was a cox. On

Question Time, you know the funny

question they always ask at the end?

Page 3

IN THE LOOP SHOOTING SCRIPT @ 11/6/08

4 CONTINUED:
4

JUDY:

Yes?

SIMON:

Can we prep that now? I want to shine

on the funny question, cos I’m a funny

guy. With a light touch.

5 INT. MALCOLM'S OFFICE - MORNING 5

Malcolm and Sam still listening to Simon’s interview.

SIMON (V.O.)

..really kick the diarrhoea ball into

touch. Then, hopefully, that will

strike another blow in the war against

preventable diseases.

INTERVIEWER (V.O.)

You mention the word war there...

MALCOLM:

Steady Eddie!

SIMON (V.O.)

(oh sh*t)

...against preventable diseases, yes.

INTERVIEWER (V.O.)

All the evidence now points to a US

military intervention in the Middle

East. Is that your view?

MALCOLM:

Straight bat, Simon. C’mon. Pump him

full of drivel.

SIMON (V.O.)

Well it really isn’t for me, Eddie, to

announce the Prime Minister’s

position on any...

MALCOLM:

Bat it away! You're English, cricket's

your thing! Cricket and incest, come

on!

INTERVIEWER (V.O.)

But a personal opinion -- as a man who

deals with the fallout from foreign

policy on a daily basis?

SIMON (V.O.)

Well, personally, I think that war is

unforeseeable.

Page 4

IN THE LOOP SHOOTING SCRIPT @ 11/6/08

5 CONTINUED:

5

MALCOLM:

No. You don’t. You were given the

briefing note on this, you useless

cock-bun

INTERVIEWER (V.O.)

Unforeseeable?

SIMON (V.O.)

(sh*t again)

Yes.

MALCOLM:

(getting up, calling on

his mobile)

Sam, I'm away to International

Development to pull Simon Foster’s

hair.

(on phone)

Yeah. He did not say that. Okay? No,

you may have heard him say that, but

he didn’t actually say that...and

that’s a fact.

And he’s gone.

6

EXT/INT. DFID - MORNING/INT. MICHAEL’S FO OFFICE -6

MORNING:

Toby is walking towards DFID. As he nears the building

he finds himself next to Malcolm, who is heading in

too. Toby is on the phone.

INTERCUT PHONE CALL:

TOBY:

Are you going to keep ringing me up

every two minutes, because you’re

starting to remind me of my mum. And

that could lead to all sorts of

erectile dysfunction.

Rate this script:5.0 / 3 votes

Jesse Armstrong

Jesse Armstrong is a British comedy writer, best known for the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show and the BBC political satire The Thick of It. more…

All Jesse Armstrong scripts | Jesse Armstrong Scripts

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