Run or Die

The plot: While paying off his father's debt, a skilled pickpocket finds his life turned upside down when his mother reveals that she's moving in with her new boyfriend, a cop with a vendetta closes in on him, and a one-night-stand reveals that she's pregnant with his child.

Loosies is a pretty harmless movie. It's set in a world where people fall in love with strangers quickly and easily, characters find redemption effortlessly, and everyone's problems are neatly resolved. As long as you're willing to accept that, I see no reason why you can't enjoy this movie.

If you're looking for a gritty, realistic crime drama, there are plenty of movies like that (Scorsese and Coppola have done quite a few good ones). If you're looking for a somewhat whimsical movie that blends elements of romance, drama, heist, and action, then you could do much worse. It'll never be my favorite movie, but I think the critics were a bit too harsh.

-- 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 --

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.

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.