Loosies

I didn't know a thing about this movie other than its less-than-inspiring IMDb plot synopsis but I watched it anyway just because I had a sleepless night to kill. 88 minutes later I felt like I had just watched a modern classic.

First of all, who would've guessed that prettyboy Peter Facinelli ("Twilight") could write such a clever story as well as act it to perfection? Here we have a crime-drama-romance that can be every bit as chilling as Scorcese's "Goodfellas" (1990), every bit as human as De Sica's "Bicycle Thieves" (1948), every bit as romantic as Reiner's "When Harry Met Sally" (1989) and with an ending as unexpected as "The Usual Suspects" (1995), all wrapped up in a superbly acted & directed hour and a half.

The plot cannot be properly conveyed in less than 500 words so I won't bother trying. Let's just say it has to do with a small-time crook who gets in big-time trouble while simultaneously meeting his dream girl and royally screwing that up, too. But he's a good kid who loves his momma and is the most ethical crook since Robin Hood, so we can't help but love the guy. Unfortunately there are several psychos on his tail, and when I say psychos I mean psy-CHOs.

I didn't realize beforehand that two of my favorite actors were in this film: Joe Pantoliano (whom I'll always remember as "Doc" from "Eddie & the Cruisers", but you may know him as "Ralph" on "The Sopranos") and the incomparable Vincent Gallo ("Buffalo 66"). For you Gallo fans, he reprises a classic line from Buffalo 66: "All girls are evil!" which got a unanimous LOL from the room. I was sorta by myself, but that's beside the point.

Gallo actually plays one of the aforementioned psychos while the other psycho is played by a very disturbing Michael Madsen ("Reservoir Dogs"). They each play the type of character who could, at any minute, jab a pencil in someone's eye just because they don't like the way they look.

Balance this against Peter Facinelli's boyscout charm and Jaimie Alexander's sweet, wholesome demeanor, and who could overlook the brilliantly cast Marianne Leone (Joanne on "The Sopranos") as momma, and you have yourself the full spectrum of characters, making this a very unpredictable and consequently a very tense film.

I should add that it has a very cool soundtrack with music by bands I had never heard of, but I'll be looking them up. Particularly the film's theme song "Sing Out" by the Grand Magnolias.

I usually end my reviews with a list of similar films, but "Loosies" is truly one-of-a-kind. Don't miss it, if you know what's good for you.

Bobby Corelli (Peter Facinelli) is a pick pocket in NYC. Lt. Nick Sullivan (Michael Madsen) has become the butt of the joke after Bobby stole his badge and started using it. Jax (Vincent Gallo) is his fence. He runs into Lucy Atwood (Jaimie Alexander) who tells him that she's pregnant after their one night stand 3 months ago.

Peter Facinelli is great at being a weasel and he does a good job in Nurse Jackie. However he's not leading man material. He's good at being pathetic but he's not good at being a stand up guy. He comes off as whiny. The romance just doesn't work and his character is horrible. He's kind of cringe-worthy. It's scary to think about this character as a father.

-- www.Ramascreen.com --

LOOSIES is surprisingly entertaining, I emphasize 'surprisingly' because the trailer didn't look appealing, there's nothing too creative about the direction or the performances either and the plot is pretty simple but overall it's a cute little rom-com written by Peter Facinelli who many of you Twi-hards recognize as Dr. Carlisle Cullen from The Twilight Saga franchise…

Who knew that Facinelli had it in him, this is after all his feature screen writing debut. I'm a big fan of his role in the series Nurse Jackie, I think he's got excellent comic timing. I've met Facinelli in person and I could tell that he's got more to offer than just being easy on the eyes and LOOSIES is not a bad start. In this film, he stars as a young pickpocket without a purpose, suddenly facing a dilemma that he couldn't see coming a mile away. The ever so cute Jaimie Alexander, who kicked ass as Sif in Thor, plays Lucy the girl whom with Facinelli's character, Bobby, had a one night stand. All of a sudden, Bobby's life gets even more complicated, way more than he'd like it to be. And the only person Bobby often turns to for advice is the same person who forces him to pickpocket day in and day out, it's a messed up friendship that has its expiration date. LOOSIES got a bit of gangster situation, it's got a bit of incompetent short-tempered cop situation, it's got a bit of a con man hilarity, the dialogue and the plot are very formulaic but the film is so not that heavy, you wouldn't mind the fact that the film hides in it being decent, no more no less. It's fun to see some of yesterday's big shots like Michael Madsen, William Forsythe, and Joe Pantoliano with something to do. For what it's worth, LOOSIES a well-structured script, I enjoy how Facinelli builds up and plays with the trust and the mistrust between Bobby and Lucy, that it's not easy to see the good in people who do shady things for a living but it's possible. LOOSIES has a straight to DVD quality to it but it's one movie I wouldn't mind watching more than once.

-- www.Ramascreen --

this is the first time when michael madsen, the great B-movie icon, in a movie that turned out to be great! now i know, as long as he's the supporting actor instead the main one, then there's great possibility that specific movie might have turned out GREAT! and this film is exactly proved what i figured out just now. all the ingredients of being a great movie are well prepared and mixed together seamlessly: the screenplay, the scenario, the storyline, the acting, the directing, the editing, the sound track....i mean, everything, wow! this is a gem might be overlooked by lot of people.

never thought that i could have such wonderful time to completely enjoy the performances of all the actors. the well crafted screenplay with very logic and natural dialog have undoubtedly allowed the actors to perform so smoothly natural and cute. i like almost all the characters appeared in this film, including michael madsen's cop role, an innocent, senseless detective who had his pocket been picked and lost his badge. what a great performance of those two young actors! almost perfect!!

i just felt very happy as the movie ended. this is how only good and great movies could affect viewers.

Loosies (2012)

A modest film with a small odd and almost quaint hook to it: a young pickpocket has gotten a girl pregnant. It's set in the present in New York City, and we gradually learn the thief isn't such a bad guy, but was trapped by circumstances. The girl it turns out is not so bad either, and the two have a troubled but growing friendship as the main guy figures out his life.

The one bigger twist is a bit exaggerated and then weirdly undeveloped—one of the thief's scores is a cop sleeping on the subway. And so this main character is now wanted very much by the police, more than ever. As his life seems to crumbling around him there is the promise of change. His mother moves in with a boyfriend. His pimp (forcing him into crime) is greedy for diamonds. And the girl is wondering what is going on with her own life, and what this man might offer her beyond money for an abortion.

It's all very enjoyable, actually, and not so low budget that it shows. There are some gaffes in the plot, mainly with the cops, but in all it hangs together. Most of all there is the teetering relationship between the young man and woman. In the end, this is a romance movie, a matter of boy meets girl. And what ensues.

Clearly not an inventive, masterful, or even quite memorable film. But I liked the main characters enough I was taken up by it all, and you might be, too.