Daily Dialogue — February 12, 2014

INT. WHITE HOUSE. SMALLISH ROOM — DAY

Malcolm is arriving into a meeting room with a young man who looks like an intern, A.J.

A.J.: How are you today? Beat the traffic?

Malcolm looking around, as if things aren’t right.

MALCOLM: Yeah, yeah. Hunky dory. Can I get a coffee?

He gives AJ his coat.

A.J.: (doesn’t take coat then eventually does and just puts it on a chair, not the coat stand) Sure, sure, if we get started, I’ll get my assistant to bring us some refreshments.
MALCOLM: (realising) Your assistant?
A.J.: (sitting, picking up a file in the room) Yeah. So, Item. We need to have a conversation about the mood of the British Parliament. Any bumps in the road ahead.
MALCOLM: I’m sorry son, am I — is this it? No offence, but shouldn’t you be at school with your head down a toilet?
A.J.: Your first point there, the offence. I’m afraid I’m gonna have to take it. Your second point. I’m 22. But — item — It’s my birthday in nine days, so if it would be more comfortable we could… wait…?
MALCOLM: Don’t get sarcastic with me son. (starts dialing) We burnt this tight-arsed city to the ground in 1814 and I’m all for doing it again. Starting with you, you frat fuck. You get sarcastic with me again and I will stuff so much cotton wool down your fucking throat it’ll come out of your
arse like the wee tail on a playboy bunny. Okay? I thought…I was led to believe I was attending the war committee.
A.J.: Yes, Assistant Secretary of State Linton Barwick wanted me to brief you on the work of the Future Planning Committee.
MALCOLM: I don’t want the bullshit son, I want the bull. No one sidelines me. I’m away.

Malcolm gets up, grabs his coat. An even younger guy wheels in a coffee trolley.

MALCOLM: And here we go — the fucking Vice President has also graced us with his presence!

— In The Loop (2009), screenplay by Jesse Armstrong & Simon Blackwell & Armando Iannucci &
Tony Roche, additional dialogue by Ian Martin

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is sarcasm, recommended by blueneumann. Today’s suggestion by Alex T.

Trivia: The shooting script after thirty days of filming was 237 pages long. The first cut of the film was 4.5 hours long. The final edit took four months to complete.

Dialogue On Dialogue: You have to be careful with sarcasm as poor A.J. learns with Malcolm taking umbrage with the rather innocent remark from the young man. Takeaway: Sarcasm can lead to incendiary results. 

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