Loose Cannons, also known as Mine Vaganti in Italian, is a 2010 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Ferzan Özpetek. The film stars Riccardo Scamarcio as Tommaso, Nicole Grimaudo as his childhood friend Alba, and Alessandro Preziosi as his older brother Antonio.
The film opens with Tommaso, a successful writer living in Rome with his boyfriend Marco, returning to his hometown in Puglia for a family dinner. He plans to tell his family that he is gay and introduce them to Marco. However, as soon as he arrives, he realizes that his father Vincenzo (Ennio Fantastichini) is gravely ill, and that Antonio (Preziosi) is about to take over the family business. Antonio is deeply traditional and conservative, and Tommaso knows that coming out could jeopardize his chances of inheriting the pasta factory.
During the family dinner, as Tommaso hesitates to speak, Antonio unexpectedly announces that he will be getting married to his girlfriend. Tommaso is shocked, but his sister Elena (Lunetta Savino) is ecstatic, as this means that she will no longer be the only unmarried sibling in the family. However, after the dinner, Tommaso discovers that Antonio's fiancée is actually Alba (Grimaudo), his childhood friend and former love interest. Alba reveals to Tommaso that she is now pregnant with Antonio's child, and that she has been coerced into the engagement by Antonio's domineering father.
As tensions rise within the family, Tommaso tries to come out to his mother, but she dismisses his confession as a joke. Meanwhile, Marco arrives in Puglia, and Tommaso struggles to keep his relationship a secret from his family. On the night before Antonio's wedding, Tommaso and Alba have a heart-to-heart conversation, during which Tommaso finally reveals that he is gay. Alba is supportive and encourages him to follow his dreams, but the conversation is overheard by Antonio, who flies into a rage.
The next day, as Antonio and Alba prepare to exchange vows, Tommaso interrupts the ceremony and comes out to the entire family. Vincenzo is initially furious and disowns Tommaso, but eventually comes around and embraces him. Antonio, however, remains hostile and threatens to cut Tommaso out of the family business. In the end, Tommaso and Marco decide to leave Puglia and start a new life together, while Vincenzo promotes Elena to his second-in-command at the factory. Alba breaks off her engagement to Antonio and decides to raise her child as a single mother.
Loose Cannons touches on themes of family, identity, tradition, and the struggle to break free from societal norms. The film was praised for its nuanced portrayal of complex characters and its humor and heart.