Review: Charmless romantic comedy 'Breaking & Exiting' is broken

A short film premise is stretched way past its breaking point in "Breaking & Exiting," a cracked love story that's more annoying than charming.  

Milo Gibson — Mel's son, and looking every bit the part — plays Harry, a dead end Los Angeles thief who specializes in home invasions and makes sure to urinate in every home he robs in order to "mark his territory." Cool guy, great character to build a story around.

Harry's cousin Chris (Adam Huber), his partner in crime, decides to move on with his life, leaving Harry to take his next score on his own. During a routine home invasion, he discovers the suicidal Daisy (Jordan Hinson, who also wrote the script) in a bathtub, waiting to die. 

He leaves her but has a fit of conscience and doubles back to save her life. She's not entirely interested in being saved, but agrees to let him cook a final meal for her. They banter, flirt, and in each other wind up finding something to live for. Sheesh, what are the odds? 

"Breaking & Exiting" is mostly insipid, with the arrogant, charmless Harry embodying the film's self-satisfied spirit. Daisy is similarly unlikable, and together you couldn't care less if these two Los Angelenos find love or fall down a giant well. After a while, you start actively rooting for the latter. 

"Breaking & Exiting" marks the feature film directorial debut of actor Peter Facinelli, best known for his roles in "Can't Hardly Wait" and the "Twilight" films. He brings the movie in at a merciful 78 minutes, but even then it feels like it has overstayed its welcome. A good thief knows some jobs just aren't worth taking, and this is one of those. 

agraham@detroitnews.com

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@grahamorama

'Breaking & Exiting'

GRADE: D+

Not rated: language, sexual situations

Running time: 78 minutes

Breaking & Exiting (not rated)

A charmless romantic comedy about an L.A. thief (Milo Gibson, Mel's son), who discovers a dying girl (Jordan Hinson) and decides to save her life. GRADE: D+