Weekend Movie Forecast: In the Loop Vs. Shrink

British satire In the Loop stars James Gandolfini as a U.S. general struggling with his British counterpart to stop the build-up to the Iraq war in the midst of military intrigue and ludicrous media missteps. A.O. Scott at the Times raves, "The plot is as intricate and elegant as a computer circuit board, though at times it looks more like a tangle of crossed wires. The short summary is that everybody betrays everybody else, that opportunism trumps idealism and that telling the truth is a matter of tactical calculation rather than ethical imperative.

"Nobody’s motives are pure, and when it’s all sorted out, the killing will start. The audience, meanwhile, is likely to die laughing. While In the Loop is a highly disciplined inquiry into a very serious subject, it is also, line by filthy line, scene by chaotic scene, by far the funniest big-screen satire in recent memory."