The movies that helped Armando Iannucci to be funny
Armando Iannucci is a tour de force in British comedy, shaping the genre with his distinctive wit, scathing political satire, and intricate storytelling. As the creative mind behind game-changing hits like The Thick of It and In the Loop, Iannucci has redefined modern comedy.
Whether it’s skewering the machinery of government or poking fun at the media, Iannucci’s work stands as an exploration of society through a comedic lens. His pioneering efforts in televised satire, from his work on I’m Alan Partridge to the biting critique of American politics in Veep, have earned him a special place in the annals of comedy.
In fact, his work is so influential that it’s been the subject of academic studies, dissecting the layers of social commentary embedded in his humour. While he’s been kind enough to offer his favourite films before, an interview with The Observer reveals insights into the cinematic moments that have influenced the comic maestro’s unique sense of humour.
“Lots of things make me laugh, of course, but these are the bits I always want to see again, whether they are silly or clever,” Iannucci explained. He dished on classics that range from screwball comedies of the Golden Age to silent masterpieces to iconic 1990s British dramas.
First up is The Graduate, a movie Iannucci appreciates for its understated humour. “There is a lot of silly stuff about whether or not he has a toothbrush with him, but the thing I really love about The Graduate is the fact that you just think of it as a film, rather than as a comedy, and then when you see it again you realise how very funny many of the scenes are,” he said.
In a different vein, Woody Allen’s Play It Again, Sam also made the cut. “It is an amazing visual performance, and yet it is all quite natural, somehow,” he pointed out. This might well encapsulate Iannucci’s own approach — creating situations that are at once hilariously exaggerated and utterly believable.
His choices also spanned the likes of Ken Loach’s Riff Raff, Buster Keaton’s Steamboat Bill, Jr, and even the risqué banter of The Lady Eve. Each film seems to tap into various aspects of Iannucci’s comedy DNA. “I don’t really have an overall theory about film comedy or why these scenes appeal to me so much, but they have all been quite influential,” he added.
Movies that influenced Armando Iannucci:
- The Graduate (Mike Nichols, 1967)
- Play It Again, Sam (Woody Allen, 1972)
- Riff Raff (Ken Loach, 1991)
- Steamboat Bill, Jr. (Buster Keaton, 1928)
- The Lady Eve (Preston Sturges, 1941)
- Airplane! (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, 1980)
- This Is Spinal Tap (Rob Reiner, 1984)
- What’s Up, Doc? (Peter Bogdanovich, 1972)
- Gregory’s Girl (Bill Forsyth, 1980)
- Local Hero (Bill Forsyth, 1983)
