L'amore non è un crimine

half the population. Well actually, these idiots have always polluted the gene pool, but now they get to spread their ignorance around the world via the internet.

First of all, don't pay any attention to these bad "reviews," I seriously doubt these people actually watched this movie. For an independent, it was quite a surprise. Facinelli does a terrific job with the screenplay about a pickpocket trying to pay off his Father's $500,000 debt to scumbag Vincent Gallo. Along the way, he manages to lift a badge from Michael Madsen, who works for acknowledged superfreak William Forsythe (in a very subdued role) and then all hell breaks loose.

As our lead is being pursued by seemingly the entire NY City police force, his mom breaks bad with Joe Pantoliano, and he "accidentally" bumps into and falls in love with the beautiful, but recently impregnated, Jaimie Alexander, with whom he had a one night fling then apparently forgot about.

The writing is tight, the characters are well cast, there is humor, drama, intrigue, and romance, and this is Michael Madsen's best role since ... well since hell I cant remember... a long damn time.

Anybody that doesn't like this movie needs their heads examined. For its budget, a solid 9/10.

-- 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 --

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.

The movie is about a young pickpocket. It's written right there, in the tagline. If you have watched any of the trailers, then you already know the story. Therefore if one is to enjoy the movie, that must come from funny moments, intelligent dialogue, exciting action or special effects, which in Loosies, are non-existent.

That doesn't mean the movie is bad, it just means it is certainly not good. I might consider it a story that was not interesting at all, but said right.

Bottom line: it has an indie flick feel, with all the fashionable songs in the soundtrack and the movie tricks to make things look more alert or to say a longer story from flashbacks. It's like somebody really wanted this to be good. Unfortunately the story of a pickpocket that finds love and it all works well for him because he has nice eyes is completely boring. Girls won't even like it.

This is a Comedy/Drama/Romance Movie, that is, a "chick flick." I'm not generally into chick flicks, but I watched it anyway, intrigued by the fact that it was written, as well as starred in, by Peter Facinelli, the head vampire in Twilight.

Having watched it once, I watched it again a couple months later... and then I recommended it to my adult daughter, who is into chick flicks, and we watched it together. And you know what, I will likely watch it again sometime. Yes, I feel it is that good. In fact, any project with Facinelli's name attached to it will garner my immediate attention from now on.

Since he wrote it, I guess he knew exactly how he wanted to play the guy who has yet another in a long series of one night stands. The woman is played by Jaimie Alexander, and he is unusually fascinated by her (that's almost a pun). He struggles with leaving her his contact number, but can't decide yes or no...

Well, he seems to forget the encounter, but then she suddenly shows up to tell him she's pregnant with his child. She reminds him her name is Lucy (another almost pun). He is a pick pocket who has no kind of life style for anything but consequence free living. Actually, he is a pick pocket slaved to the man who his father owed a significant monetary debt to, so I guess he's not actually so free living.

Anyway, the depth of the movie is what all happens next. No spoilers here so all I will say is that if you watch it, you will likely not be disappointed.

This action movie junkie (and his daughter) rate this as a movie well worth a watch or three.