In the Loop

Time to learn to breath through your laughter, else you aren’t going to get through this film alive.

I haven’t laughed this much since Jacqui Smith’s husband was revealed as getting porn courtesy of the tax payer.

In The Loop is a spin off film from The Thick Of It, the successful BBC drama about the modern political system, and includes a lot of the same actors found in its TV forerunner.

The story is based around the American and British political manoeuvrings and blunderings surrounding a possible war in an unspecified country.

I don’t know where they get their ideas from…

In the Loop is a brilliant mix of intelligent and base humour.

So neither so far up it’s own arse that it loses its audience, nor so puerile as to be dismissed by an audience with some brain cells going spare.

Equally you don’t need to be an avid politico to follow it, but familiarity with the political game does add to your appreciation of the story that unfolds.

Peter Capaldi is brilliant as Malcolm Tucker, the policy co-ordinator who rules his minister with an iron fist.

The sheer pace and imagination of his insults are amazing enough in themselves without the dedication of a solid performance of pure venom.

The rest of the cast put in equally sterling performances, as this is a true ensemble piece, backed up by excellent writing.

There isn’t a weak moment and the actors make all the action seem frighteningly believable in the midst of pure political farce.

This isn’t the kind of film where you can leave your brain at the door, so if you want an easy life affirming comedy steer well clear.

If you want a comedy with a little less of the Adam Sandler touch and a crate more witty bite then you’ll come out ready to buy it on DVD.

The Mystery of Polly Tommey

I missed the last tube on Saturday and found myself bussing it back to South London.

On the way I encountered a strange advert, in the form of a letter written to Gordon Brown to say that they could save the PM £508m a year.

It was signed by Polly Tommey.

I'm a curious soul, so finding myself with some free time today I googled the woman in question.

I discovered that the poster campaign had made it into a clutch of local papers.

Polly thinks that she can save the government all this money by getting more autistic people into work.

Her poster campaign is certainly effective, because it caught my attention and I spend my life ignoring or getting annyoed at adverts and this one genuinely made me curious.

I wish her well.

So long as she isn't wishing to railroad people into jobs that essentially they are unable to do.

Since when did being fat make you a bad parent?

You're too fat to adopt, Damien Hall has been told.

This news story appalled me.

I would be the first to agree that parents that adopt should be vetted, so children aren't moved from one unstable situation to another.

But just how dangerous is a fat Dad!

I know we are living in the midst of an obesity crisis, but given the chance wouldn't a child prefer to have a parent that may feed them a few too many calories than no parent at all!

In the instance of the Halls it is only Mr. Hall that has been deemed to be too heavy, suggesting that his problems with his weight may not simply down to the food he consumes.

Social services wouldn't take a child away from their parents if their parents were overweight, because that doesn't make them unfit to bring up their child.

So why shouldn't they be allowed to adopt a child that isn't theirs.

I know there are far more terrible things going on in the world, but I feel this one that mere reason can change.