What's with all the effin' and jeffin'?

Earlier this week I watched In The Loop with Lisa. Much to both our surprise she really enjoyed it and it goes without saying that I did too. The story was solid and the slightly rejigged and extended cast of The Thick of It were all on top form. But with both the TV series and the film what really brings home the oats are the semi-improvised oneliners. Many of these highlights were provided by the mighty spin doctor supremo Malcolm Tucker, whose gritty wit was strong enough to put down the highest of ministers and the largest of Americans.

Cross Rhythms (for whom I present a show) have a resident film critic and their review was bound to touch on the matter of the colourful language. At the time I did wonder whether I should have been laughing so hard at such coarse language but then my rational has always been about how the other person perceives it. Someone can call me whatever they like and it's unlikely offend me unless there is real venom behind their words but I of course am sensitive to other people's feelings and generally don't tend to swear. So I am fairly comfortable to see someone swear in a fictional backdrop as no-one is genuinely going to be hurt by those words. Also the character of Malcom Tucker (and his fellow Scottish press officer) would be significantly diminished if his blunt language was refined, in other words he wouldn't be Malcolm Tucker.

On another note the almost boundless cynicism that ripples through the film will almost certainly be met with bemusement in Obama-infatuated America. We here in the UK shouldn't encounter any such problems when the extremely realistic truths echo through the picture, watch out for the line about MP expenses (filmed before the Jacqui Smith saga) if you want an example.

Cross Rhythms are always rolling out great articles, here's a couple of recent highlights: Check out Ben Jack's unpacking of the sickening compensation culture that we all too happily seem to be embracing and Mike Rimmer's ever relevant challenge to Christians who want to make good music and get out a contemporary and thought-provoking message at the same time.

If you're easily offended don't go and see In The Loop, if you have a backbone I heartily recommend it. Lisa will testify that you don't need to be a politics/satire nerd to enjoy one of the best British films in recent memory.