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Comedy of errors
It's utterly fitting that Armando lannucci's In the Loop opens this year's Glasgow Film festival. His debut film, like the festival, is brave, funny and a real crowd pleaser. Here, he tells Doug Johnstone about the expenence
rmando lannucci has a ringing in his
ears. He's just back from the Sundance
Film Festival in the States where his debut feature film as writer and director. In the Loop. had its world premiere. The film's reception was so overwhelmingly positive that it became the bum film' of the festival. a bun which is still echoing around his faintly bemused head.
“Yes. apparently there was a bun] he says with perplexed disdain. ‘Saying it‘s a bun movie sounds better than saying it‘s a tinnitus film. I suppose. It was hilarious. people were running around going “You‘re hot!" in that way that only
happens in films. Suddenly. hampers of
foodstuffs that you can’t really eat appear at the
18 THE LIST 5‘ 7:1 Pet‘ .‘tk‘ti
hotel from Hollywood agents. that sort of thing.‘
l'ntil Sundance. lannucci was a relatively unknown quantity both in the world of cinema and in the l'nited States. but of course we lucky buggers on this side of the pond have long been aware of his talents. An iconic figure at the heart of British TV and radio comedy for the last decade and a half. the Glasgow born-and-bred funnyman has been responsible for some of the finest. most incisive satire to grace the airwaves
in a generation. from seminal news spoof The Day Today through Alan Partridge's various outings to The Thick (if/t. his brilliant expose of a spin-obsessed British govemment.
In the 1.00,) can be seen as a big screen companion piece to The Thick (if/I. written and filmed in a similar style and featuring many of the same actors. Peter ('apaldi‘s awesomely vitriolic spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker (a thinly veiled Alistair Campbell) is once again centre