Loosies
Mary Dieng




Directed By: Michael Corrente

Starring: Peter Facinelli, Jaimie Alexander, Michael Madsen, Joe Pantoliano, and Vincent Gallo

Criminals, they’re just like the rest of us!  They work their nine to five jobs with little financial reward and the “man” on their backs.  They take care of their moms, and they don’t make the best decisions when it comes to love.   Who knew?

Bobby (Peter Facinelli) is a thirty-something year old pickpocket who works the streets of New York.  Bobby’s father had a gambling problem and when he died, his debt passed onto Bobby forcing him to work for slimy crime figure Jax (Vincent Gallo).  (Jax spends ninety percent of the film in his bathrobe which just ratchets up the sleaze factor).  Bobby, dressed in a slick suit, rides subways and walks the busy streets of Manhattan relieving tourists, businessmen, and innocent pedestrians of their valuables.

One night, Bobby encounters bartender Lucy (Jaimie Alexander) and after a semi-date, the two end up spending the night together.  Several months later, Bobby discovers that Lucy is pregnant and he is forced to confront impending fatherhood.  To further complicate matters, Bobby recently stole a police badge from Lieutenant Sullivan (Michael Madsen), and the Lieutenant is hot on his heels to recover the badge and lock up the pickpocket who humiliated the NYPD.

Loosies does not break any new ground.  Although Bobby is a pickpocket (a nontraditional profession to be sure), this is a fairly typical tale of a momma’s boy who has not quite grown up yet.  He’s not ready for any sort of commitment and is moving through life unattached until love and responsibility show up unexpectedly and he has to mature rapidly.  I was not blown away, but I did find the film entertaining and even humorous at times.

I would not see Loosies in theaters, but if you are flipping through your television channels and stumble across it, it is not a bad film to watch one Saturday afternoon (for free).