In the Loop Page #3

JUDY:

I can't do that. That's political,

that's not in my...

Page 12

IN THE LOOP SHOOTING SCRIPT @ 11/6/08

11 CONTINUED:
(3) 11

MALCOLM:

Purview? OK, darling. You scuttle off

back to f***ing Cranford and organise

the tea and cake and horse c*cks. (TO

TOBY) You, Ron Weasley -- you do it.

Malcolm heads out. Mark Hadley spots his go.

12 INT. FO MICHAELS OFFICE - DAY 12

Suzy and Michael in Michael’s office. Suzy’s getting

documents together for the big meeting. Michael’s at

his computer, on the phone. Classical music still on.

MICHAEL:

(on phone)

I want the Angolan charge d’affaires

on the phone. Well STOP him playing

football.

SUZY:

I’m just giving Toby a quick ring, is

that OK?

Suzy dials.

13 INT. DFID/INT FOREIGN OFFICE MICHAELS OFFICE 13

Toby is at DFID, finishing another call. His mobile

starts ringing.

Toby checks the phone. Sees it’s Suzy -- Christ, not

her again, I’m a bit busy here. He answers.

INTERCUT PHONE CALL:

TOBY:

Hiya. You do know this is the third

time you’ve rung? Are you on a new

tariff?

SUZY:

So? How's it going? You found the bogs

yet?

TOBY:

Yeah. Hard. But, no, good. All a bit

manic. It was never like this at

Agriculture. People tend not to swear

so much about wheat.

SUZY:

(to Michael, re. the

music)

Can you turn that down a bit?

(MORE)

Page 13

IN THE LOOP SHOOTING SCRIPT @ 11/6/08

13 CONTINUED:
13

SUZY (CONT'D)

(to Toby)

Look, I've got a leg up for you. We

could get Simon over for a three

o'clock with Karen Clark?

TOBY:

Right - Karen Clark from...did she go

round Britain in a coracle for

leukemia?

SUZY:

Karen Clark, US Assistant Secretary of

State?

TOBY:

Oh right. Sh*t. Karen Clark. Wow.

Thanks.

SUZY:

Exactly. I'm giving your big dick a

swing right?

TOBY:

Uh hu.

SUZY:

Why?

TOBY:

(uncomfy with this private

motivational motto)

Because I am a big swinging dick.

SUZY:

Exactly. Remember that, okay. I'm

giving it a big shove. I ought to go.

I love you.

Judy’s hovering nearby.

TOBY:

Likewise. Affirmative on that.

MICHAEL calls over to Suzy from the other side of the

room.

MICHAEL:

Meat! Tell Dick Swing, International

Man Of Mystery that Simon’s only going

to be meat in the room. Don't get his

hopes up.

SUZY:

Yeah, so you know -- Simon, between

us, he's just going to be meat in the

room.

Page 14

IN THE LOOP SHOOTING SCRIPT @ 11/6/08

13 CONTINUED:
(2) 13

TOBY:

Meat?

Judy, nearby, hears this.

SUZY:

(waving him away)

Yeah. The Americans don't feel they're

getting a real meeting unless there's

thirty of you on each side.

14 INT. DFID - DAY / INT. SIMON’S OFFICE - DAY 14

Judy is hovering as Toby finishes his call.

JUDY:

So, quick tour.

She starts walking away. Toby follows.

TOBY:

Um, I do just need to...

JUDY:

Over there...that's Mike's patch.

Leave Mike to it. He knows what he's

doing. Don't you Mike?

MIKE:

What?

JUDY:

Exactly.

(as they walk on)

He's hopeless.

(checks phone)

And that’s the end of the tour. I’ve

got to go.

TOBY:

Look, I understand your hostility to

new wood coming in..

JUDY:

There’s a lot of really important

people you need to know about, but I

haven’t got time.

But she’s gone. Toby heads over to Simon’s office. The

door’s open. He pops his head in.

TOBY:

Hey, boss.

Page 15

IN THE LOOP SHOOTING SCRIPT @ 11/6/08

14 CONTINUED:
14

SIMON:

Toby, hi. Sorry about earlier --

Malcolm. He’s a bit of an...alpha

male, isn’t he?

TOBY:

Yeah, he’s a complete and utter alpha

male.

SIMON:

Ha. Yes. He’s the biggest alpha male

I’ve ever met.

TOBY:

Yeah.

A beat.

SIMON:

I like the fact that we’re not saying

‘c*nt’.

TOBY:

I like that too. Look, I’ve managed to

get you into the big meeting at the

Foreign Office this afternoon.

SIMON:

The Karen Clark meeting? Sh*t, really?

Sure. How did you...?

TOBY:

Sheer bloody hard work.

Judy walks past. Simon calls out.

SIMON:

Hey Judy.

She comes in.

JUDY:

Hello?

SIMON:

Tobes here has got me into the big

Karen Clark meeting.

Judy looks at Toby. She heard the ‘meat’ conversation.

JUDY:

Wow. Yeah, the Big Meet. How are you

spelling that, by the way?

Page 16

IN THE LOOP SHOOTING SCRIPT @ 11/6/08

14 CONTINUED:
(2) 14

SIMON:

So, do you want to do your job and,

you know...? as PRESS Officer, have

PRESSING things to do...

JUDY:

Sure. I’ll tell the press.

She leaves.

15 INT. CAR ALONG WHITEHALL - DAY 15

Simon, Toby and Judy drive along Whitehall in their

car.

An awkward silence.

Judy looks at Toby. She knows Simon’s just off to be

meat.

TOBY:

(off Judy's look)

Just, maybe, might be best not to get

too excited. It might be that their

guys muscle in and have the lion's

share of the talk time.

JUDY:

Yeah. It might be like that.

16 INT. FOREIGN OFFICE BUILDING. FOYER - DAY 16

Simon, Toby and Judy are going through security. Toby

is nodding sycophantically at everything Simon says.

SIMON:

I feel a bit like, you know, when you

get English actors cast in a Woody

Allen film?

He walks through a security arch. Toby goes through and

joins him.

Judy comes through.

SIMON (CONT’D)

I was just saying I feel like an

English actor in a Woody Allen film.

But some of them do shine, don't they?

I can't think of any now.

Page 17

IN THE LOOP SHOOTING SCRIPT @ 11/6/08

17 INT. FOREIGN OFFICE GRAND MEETING ROOM - DAY 17

There are three distinct US delegations. KAREN CLARK

from the State Department is surrounded by ten or so

aides and functionaries, security people and

assistants. (Including Chad and LIZA one of Karen's

senior aides.) Then there is Bob Adriano’S gang of

advisors, smaller but sitting separately.

Next to them is a Pentagon delegation, including

uniformed members of all three services.

Lots of hubbub.

SUZY leads SIMON, TOBY and JUDY in, and shows them to

their seats.

They're as far away from the US delegation as it's

possible to be, and Simon's seat is actually behind a

pillar. Suzy goes off to join Michael and the Foreign

Office delegation near the front. Suzy looks over to

Toby, uses her hands to make mock binoculars, as if to

say, 'you're very far away, look how close and

therefore important I am'.

SIMON:

No-one will hear me if I say anything.

How's your view? Can we swap?

Simon and Toby swap seats, but Simon can still barely

see anything.

SIMON (CONT'D)

(to Judy)

Can I swap with you?

Simon and Judy swap seats.

The meeting is now underway. We're with Karen Clark.

KAREN:

We all agree this is a very tough

time, but I don't want a consensus to

form around the premise that conflict

is necessarily the primary option at

this point.

Back with Simon, Judy and Toby. Simon still straining

to see.

SIMON (CONT'D)

No, this is worse. Swap back.

Rate this script:5.0 / 3 votes