OK - so these two are are on some pre-Oscar lists. Actually, Summer Hours is on a lot of pre-Oscar lists.
In the Loop is hilariously funny - nonstop British humor. It's is a political movie, and it's supposed to be behind the scenes with everyone trying to get into a "secret" committee meeting that everybody in London and Washington eventually knows about and attends. It is amazingly funny and horrible at the same time. At first I was just enjoying the British humor (watch with the subtitles so you don't miss anything), but after a while I was worried that Washington might really be like this movie. Then I realized that Washington is probably even worse than this movie. Then I got depressed. In any case, if you like British humor, you should watch this movie. It takes nasty-ass, evil and manipulative characters to new levels.
Summer Hours is a far different movie. The matriarch of a well-to-do French family dies, and her children have to deal with the estate. They are not nasty to each other - they are all incredibly civilized and realistic about what they have to do. Mom's assets are not in cash, but in museum quality art and furniture. They donate to the Musee D'Orsay to avoid exorbitant estate tax - that level of art.
Life is not perfect for this family, but it's a lot better than for most of the people I know. In any case, I'm not sure I would say this movie is about the lives of the kids and grandkids. It's about this family losing its history when people grow up and separate and move to other countries. It's about the end of an era.
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