Movie review: ‘Loosies’

There’s a certain shaggy, 1970s-era charm to “Loosies,” a crime-with-a-side-of-romance (or perhaps it’s the other way around) trifle written by and starring Peter Facinelli (the “Twilight” pictures, TV’s “Nurse Jackie”) as an essentially decent Manhattan pickpocket “working” to pay off his late father’s enormous debt.

This nicely acted, atmospheric gambol, directed with a light, occasionally random touch by Michael Corrente (“Outside Providence,” “Brooklyn Rules”) puts Facinelli’s sexy, charismatic Bobby at the center of a handful of raggedy story strands that engage even if they never fully coalesce.

These include the pursuit of the pickpocket by a pair of dogged cops (Michael Madsen, William Forsythe), one of whose badge Bobby has snatched; the reappearance of an attractive one-night stand (Jaimie Alexander) who reveals she’s three-months pregnant — with Bobby’s child, of course; his good-hearted mother’s (Marianne Leone) new romance with a patient jeweler (Joe Pantoliano); and the escalating screw-tightening of Bobby’s eccentric, dodgy fence (Vincent Gallo).

Daniel Boneville’s jumpy editing effectively mirrors Bobby’s anxious trajectory, although the film’s reliance on quick, redundant flashbacks reveals a lack of narrative confidence; sometimes it’s just as well to “tell” and not “show.” Still, “Loosies” (slang for singly bought or bummed cigarettes — and a nod to Bobby’s commitment phobia) proves a largely enjoyable ride.

“Loosies.” MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some violence, sexual content and language. Running time: 1 hour, 29 minutes. At Laemmle’s Music Hall 3, Beverly Hills.