Loosies: Cardboard Character Creation

The tag line says it all: “Love is not a crime”-it’s going to be cliché. Loosies is the feature film screenwriting debut from Peter Facinelli most known for his portrayal of a blood sucking Cullen in the Twilight saga. Here, he walks in much different shoes, playing a pick-pocket in New York city who’s down on his luck. We’ve seen it before: bad boy meets good girl and good girl makes him change his bad ways. Snore. Many films, though, have found success in this formula through their unique, compelling characters. Here, Facelli’s are a little too cardboard.

Bobby (Facinelli) has managed to stay afloat financially through his stealing skills. He works for a scumbag, Jax (Vincent Gallo), who reaps the benefits off his watch, money and wallet swiping skills. He also has a troubled mother who tries to connect with her son over greasy eggs and bacon during their morning routine. He doesn’t want to hear it.

But things change for Bobby after a one-night stand with an attractive waitress named Lucy (Jamie Alexander). They have a spectacular time but three months go by without them seeing each other. Then, out of the blue, she runs into him and drops the bomb, “I’m pregnant.”  Bobby offers to pay for an abortion, but after spending some time together, he begins to question having the procedure and begins to fall for Lucy.

Meanwhile, through an easy-way to insert some stakes into a story, Bobby’s being followed by the cops. He pick-pocketed an officer’s badge, and thus brought on the fury that is Michael Madsen (a pleasant and surprising addition to the cast), Lt. Sully.

The film finds its best moments when it gives into both its indie budget and indie actors. The moments between Lucy and Bobby are memorable and tender and give the actors a chance to show off some chops. It seems a little obvious this is exactly what Facinelli intended, creating a character that can be both broken and loving at the same time. He pulls it off, but unfortunately, the character is not all that interesting.

Alexander shows that she’s an actress to watch, but again, the script limits the depth of her character. In the middle of the abortion clinic Bobby and Lucy fight, he telling her he wants to keep the baby and she saying she wants to continue with the procedure. In the end, a passionate kiss seals the deal, and she gives into his wishes. Really? A man she had a one-night stand with, who’s a professional criminal, can pickpocket her strength as easy as he can pluck a watch off a pedestrian. Facinelli’s choices with Lucy’s character diminish not only her power, but the potential for conflict or audience compassion.

There’s a plethora of great actors in the film, but unfortunately their talents aren’t fully utilized. The protagonists aren’t the only ones who deserve depth. Lt. Sully is the cookie-cutter cop and his story line serves nothing more than to create a wobbly-antagonist to Bobby’s hero. Jax is the greedy boss, never showing a moment of vulnerability and Bobby’s mother is rarely touched upon. 

Loosies is a film that will come and go, because it’s all been seen before. But at the best, it will serve as a launching pad for Facinelli as a writer and Alexander as an actress.