On Demand Weekly

On Demand Weekly provides new movie reviews of hot movies on demand and from the POV of watching from the comfort of your home. Today’s review: LOOSIES (IFC).

LOOSIES

By Chris Claro

I’m not part of the TWILIGHT demo, so my exposure to Peter Facinelli has come mainly through seeing him as self-absorbed doctor Fitch Cooper on Showtime’s NURSE JACKIE. In LOOSIES, directed by Michael Corrente (OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE) and written by Facinelli, the actor uses his leading man looks and winning charm to tell the story of a New York hustler trying to stay ahead of the law.

Michael Corrente, Peter Facinelli

Facinelli’s Bobby spends his days cadging wallets from unsuspecting Wall Streeters, while paying attempting to pay off his deceased father’s debt to loan shark Jax (Vincent Gallo, THE BROWN BUNNY). Even as he dodges the cops on his tail, Fitch must contend with the reappearance of a one-night-stand who is pregnant with his baby.

If it sounds like a lot of traffic for a comedy, it is, but Corrente adeptly keeps LOOSIES jangling along with a sprightly rhythm, which makes up for some of the deficiencies of Facinelli’s dialogue: “I have problems with commitment.” – how did that line make it past the first draft? How did it even make it into the first draft?

Providence-based Corrente combines New York location footage with scenes shot in his hometown and cinematographer Sam Fleischman keeps the combination seamless. Using Canon 5D and 7D cameras, Fleischman achieves a truly filmic look that belies the movie’s digital roots.

LOOSIES also benefits from a surprisingly strong supporting cast that includes Joe Pantoliano (THE SPORANOS), William Forsythe (BOARDWALK EMPIRE), and Michael Madsen (RESERVOIR DOGS). For what is clearly a low-budget film, the presence of such familiar performers lends the film an added air of credibility and adds bulk to the slight story.

Michael Madsen