FILM OF THE WEEK & PODCAST: In the Loop (Peter Capaldi)

Peter Capaldi isn't a widely recognizeable name in the U.S. (yet), though the silver-tongued Scottish actor has starred in such beloved films as Local Hero, Dangerous Liaisons and The Lair of the White Worm. He also, much to the confusion of people who identify him as a thespian, won an Oscar for a nifty 1994 short film he wrote and directed (Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life), but it's his insult-tossing, handily scene-stealing performance in In the Loop with which people will soon associate him. From my Sundace '09 festival review, which should be read before you watch this deleted scene and taste Capaldi's witty wrath:

A cynical, razor-sharp, truly laugh-out-loud farce about the symbiotic relationship between ineffectual, flip-flopping bureaucrats and the sneaky, petty spin doctors who need them, co-writer/director Armando Iannucci's loosely inspired expansion of his BBC comedy series The Thick of It values and cleverly parodies the power of language (vulgarity, doublespeak, jousting, meaningful ambiguity). A finger-on-the-button chain reaction begins with a single word as the British Minister for International Development (Tom Hollander) accidentally burbles to the media that war is "unforeseeable," much to the chagrin of the PM's foul-mouthed Director of Communications (Peter Capaldi), yet to the delight of those on the other side of the pond with their own pro- and anti-war agendas.

Calling Capaldi in the UK, I'm certainly to blame for giving him the green flag to use creative obscenities, but I'm proud that it dug up "Tucker's Law," a dirty joke that went too far and had to be cut. Our rather droll conversation turned to the pragmatic benefit of the F-bomb as an actor, the bizarre adventure of working with Ken Russell on The Lair of the White Worm, and why he's decided to never see Michael Mann's Public Enemies (hint: it's my fault!).

To listen to the podcast, click here.
[WARNING: Explicit Language / NSFW]

In the Loop opens today in limited release, and will be available on demand via IFC's Festival Direct beginning July 29. For more info, visit the official website.

Posted by ahillis at July 23, 2009 11:11 PM