Customer Reviews

The Cooler

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(52)
3 star:		(27)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Imagine the most defeated, downtrodden, broken individual on the planet. Somebody who life has ridden roughshod over him so many times that the only thing he's living for is an end to his obligations. If you believe that luck can spread around, then a guy like that would have to sap it from everything and everybody he came into contact with, returning it sour and stale. The only way a loser like that could make a real living would be as a cooler in a casino. Folks, meet Bernie Lootz, the best cooler in Las Vegas.

Bernie has a seven year deal with his old-style thug boss Shelley, played by the aptly cast Alec Baldwin. In order to work off a gambling debt caused by his addiction combined with a losing streak, Bernie "cools" the luck of winners at the Shangri-La casino simply by circulating around to wherever there has been too much of a winning streak going on. It works, and he keeps the outdated Shangri La nicely profitable. But now his obligation to Shelley is nearly finished and Bernie wants out of the business. No smart old stickler like Shelley is going to let such a good thing go so easily, however, and he contrives a cruel and clever plan to trap Bernie into extending his contract using the only bait that could tempt a guy with nothing else to lose: a sexy new love interest in the form of cocktail waitress Natalie (Maria Bello).

Once in a while a role comes along for which there is really only one actor that can jump start it to life properly, and without a doubt William H. Macy is that actor for Bernie Lootz. With his kicked-puppy looks and his quietly resigned demeanor, Macy is superb in this movie. In fact, he really made the movie, period. I would recommend The Cooler just for the sake of his performance, although the other leads made great contributions - after all, nobody plays Arrogance like Alec. The satisfaction that you will get out of witnessing the underdog change his luck and rejoin the world of light and hope will be a great bonus.

Great acting, interesting plot, plenty of human drama and just a little brief nudity: there's really nothing missing here. I really can't think of a reason not to award it five stars, so I will. Excellent.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

The Cooler is a very interesting movie in that it goes back to the basic style the old Las Vegas movies used to be in the past. It's been awhile since we've seen a "casino" movie and The Cooler makes a valid attempt.

William H. Macy plays Bernie Lootz, a man of incredible bad luck. He works at the Shangri-La Casino where he is trying to pay off a horrible debt he owes after his bad luck of gambling. He basically walks around the tables that are hot and "cools" them down by spreading his bad luck to any gambler. Alec Baldwin plays Shelly Kaplow, Bernie's stern boss who at times uses violence to remind people the luck always needs to be on his side. Maria Bellow plays Bernie's girlfriend Natalie. Most of the movie is Bernie counting his last few days there at the casino as he is ready to leave and move on with his life.

Terriferic performances by William H. Macy and Alec Baldwin. Mr. Macy nails the character of Bernie so deeply and true that you can't help wonder if Mr. Macy has experienced a time of bad luck himself. Mr. Macy does such a good job in his role, that all it takes is for the viewer to look in his eyes and you can easily see a man who is tired, depressed, and has accepted the realization that his life is slowly going downhill and there is nothing he can do to stop it. Mr. Baldwin is genius as the angry boss who get's what he wants. His anger and fierceness is so real and perfect that you can feel his creepy presence everytime he is about to walk on screen. The only one I believe who had a good performance but not an outstanding one was Ms. Bellow. She was almost convincing as Bernie's girlfriend. She is a very talented actress and is definitely goregous which is necessary for her character, but her acting performance just doesn't stand out compared to the others. It feels as she is simply going through the emotions. It's a good performance...not a great one.

Bernie's bad luck changes when he meets Maria. She introduces him into the world of happiness with her sexual desires. This is where the movie is definitely rated "R." The sex scenes are very graphic and real. It gives the movie more of an edge. Because of this new found hapiness she becomes in his life, his luck begins to change. When approaching to tables, instead of giving people bad luck, he presents good luck. Every thing that happens to him swings his way and provides him happiness. Everyone seems to think of this as a good thing till his boss Shelly steps in. He becomes frustrated with the fact people aren't losing money at his casino. This is most of the plot and despite how uninteresting it sounds, it keeps the audience watching. The violent scenes are indeed very graphic and painful to watch.

There are so many good things with this movie, the acting, the script, the real violence, the casino style music, everything is top-notch, yet it is easily forgotten when walking out of the theater. As mentioned earlier, it tries to make like another casino movie, and it does succeed in most levels, but the difference here between this movie and the others, is the others have that over-whelming effect that stays with you even after you walk out of the theater. The plot is very interesting except for the sub-plots. The sub-plots provide interesting character development, which made the charatcers stand out even more, but most of the sub-plots seemed so rushed that one might see them as unimportant and almost pointless.

The Cooler is a good film, but not a great one. I highly recommend this movie to be seen by anyone at least once. The first time around, it will keep you watching for the top-notch performances, the gruesome realism, the suprise ending (which I never saw coming), and the classy casino music. But the second time around, I fear it may be harder to stay focused and keep interested since nothing is suprising and new. There is nothing more or new to learn from the second viewing.
But still, The Cooler is a good movie that plays its cards well and tries to stay in the game as long as it can.

I tend to like films about Las Vegas. I also like mobster movies. Well, this 2003 film has it all. But most of all it has an unforgettable character, played by William H. Macy.

William H. Macy is actually 53 years old but looks a lot older. There are lines on his face that give him character and I certainly hope he never joins the Botox crowd. In this film he's cast as a Las Vegas loser, a poor soul with such bad luck that Alec Baldwin, the Casino boss keeps him around just to bring bad luck to people on a winning streak. This is of course ridiculous, but somehow this film made me feel that it was real.

It's also ridiculous how much William H. Macy admires the casino boss and considers him a friend. His kneecap had been broken years before by this same casino boss who then paid to have surgery for him and gave him a job. But after years of being a loser, Macy now wants out.

This same casino boss pays a cocktail waitress to have an affair with Macy so that he will stay with the casino. As you can guess - they fall in love. And, even though he's much older than her and she's a babe, they have some sizzling romantic scenes that not only seem authentic, but also burn up the screen. Naturally, Macy's luck begins to turn and the casino suffers.

The plot thickens as Macy's long lost son returns with a pregnant wife, two despicable characters that are out to take Macy for all he's worth. Then there's a violent scene with Baldwin, which gave me the chills. The film was fascinating and I couldn't stop watching.

No, it doesn't seem plausible. And Alec Baldwin's performance left a lot to be desired. The story was unrealistic and at times, silly. But what can I say? I loved it!

Set in the unfashionable old section of Las Vegas, far away from glitzy/artsy strip that people identify with the city of sin, "The Cooler" draws us behind all the neon, the little people below the headliners and high rollers.

Overlook the somewhat over-the-top script and savour the great breakout role for Maria Bello, yet another terrific-so-what-else-is-new turn by Will Macy, and the best work Alec Baldwin's done on the big screen since Glengarry Glen Ross. Plus, those notorious nudey scenes between Macy and Bello..

In its delivery, it feels like it was poured from the bottle, not one of those bar regulator machines -- it's got the kick, style and flavor of a straight-up story, before movies were watered down with the opinions of marketers, lawyers and committee heads.

A cool yet hot Vegas parable, with a charming hint of romance. Recommended rental.

Extremely well acted. Expert direction. Smart writing. Misadvertised. This is not the feel good comedy the trailers would lead one to believe. Enter the theater prepared to see hungry, lost characters behave maliciously towards each other. Yes, there's some kindness, a few jackpots, and yes there's even some true--good--love, but there's an awful lot of hurtful stuff going on in between. For all of that, and for the skills of the filmmakers & actors -- count it among our culture's great Las Vegas films.

"The Cooler", starring William H. Macy, Maria Bello, and Alec Baldwin, is a great film that explores more than just Las Vegas. It also desplicts a man who desperately wants to move away from there because of its atmosphere. The interesting plot expresses its deeper creativity by including his string of bad luck and how it spreads. Later, he proves that "lady luck" exists when he falls in love with her, and she expresses her true love for him. This becomes more than just romance; the couple notice a strong life-changing moment. This unique storyline has numerous twists and turns that keep audiences watching every moment closely, especially when secrets are revealed. Meanwhile, the emotional theme presents itself wonderfully through inner peace to inner battles. Such themes create an unforgettable viewing experience. Through every scene, the actors create their own unique presence that adds new statements to this film. Most noted is Alec Baldwin's Oscar-nominated role as selfish, back-stabbing casino owner Shelly. William H. Macy ("Fargo") and Maria Bello (TV's "ER" 1997-1998) also performed beautifully, Bello at her new career best. Such film quality makes "The Cooler" worth watching multiple times. It will continue pleasing audiences for a long time.

Shelly Kaplow is an old fashioned casino owner in this brilliant Wayne Kramer film. Shelly is played perfectly by a once lost actor Alex Baldwin, whose previous failures as a leading man have led him down the path of becoming an absolutely magnificent character actor. Shelly is a man Who runs his casino his way, despite being urged by other forces (including Ron Livingston's great performance as Larry Sokolove) to update his business beyond Las Vegas nostalgia. Shelly also employs "Coolers"; these are people who carry an array of bad luck and destroy the luck of even the hottest casino tables. Bernie Lootz (William H. Macy) is the very best Cooler in the business and despite their checkered past, he is also Shelly's only real friend. Bernie's luck is terrible until he finds love in the form of Maria Bello's Natalie. His luck turns as he is planning to leave the business and Shelly is trying to talk him out of it. So the stage is set for these actors to roam free and walk us through a delightful and at times shocking thriller.

I laughed at these characters and thoroughly enjoyed watching the actors absolutely rule the screen in this enjoyable little movie. Macy normally must outshine stronger roles around him as a supporting actor but here we see him in a rare feature role and he is as good as ever. Macy comes off as perpetually unnerved by all the cards he is dealt in his life no matter what they are. The only time Macy is upstaged or equaled is by Maria Bello's convincing opposite role as Natalie, and the furious and often hilarious performance unleashed by Alec Baldwin. Ironically, we see Baldwin take the reins and steal scenes in a supporting role from a career supporting role master in Macy, and his leading role here. I knew Baldwin was good because the hype was seemingly coming from all the right places, but he is extremely entertaining in this film, even more so then I expected.

At times The Cooler has it's share of predictable details I really shouldn't get into here, but I don't think that it's ability to surprise us with some of its twists is what the film sets out to accomplish, although there were some points where I wish they did. We get to understand the reasons why Natalie and Bernie are in love so fast, we understand why Shelly is a sadistic and egotistical power monger (a rarity to see a microscope put on such a villain) and Macy under plays his role as an alternative to Baldwin's fiery Shelly...perhaps that is why Shelly sees them as close friends.

The Cooler carries a style that paces the natural humor just enough where it is funny without being a comedy, while also keeping the drama in check enough to really keep you caring at key moments. This film is handled impeccably well by Kramer and even more defined by a bevy of excellent performances. Good story and very rarely slow to even the most impatient viewer. The Cooler is a very good film.

William H. Macy plays Bernie Lootz and as you'll read in other reviews here, Bernie is a guy who is so unlucky that a Casino has hired him to let his bad luck rub off on the other players in the Casino.

What impressed me about Macy's portrayal of Bernie is that he is so completely used to his position as one of life's doormats that he exudes a kind of confidence in this role. In the brilliant opening of the film we see Bernie strolling through the Casino with a kind of casual self-assurance that you might expect to see from an actor playing James Bond as they say "shaken, not stirred". Bernie walks casually by a table where a player is beginning to get hot. Without even looking down Bernie reaches out and glides his fingers along the edge of the table as he walks by. Off-camera we can hear that his bad-luck imparting has worked. As unlucky as Bernie is, he at least recognizes that he is good at his job and that he performs a valuable service to the Casino.

Unlucky in life and unlucky in love, Bernie secretly pines after Casino waitress Natalie, played by Maria Bello. When Natalie begins to take an interest in Bernie things get exponentially more complicated for Bernie.

Alec Baldwin is Shelly Kaplow, the manager of the Casino, and he remembers the good old days before Vegas became like Disney World: back when gamblers gambled and drank, showgirls strutted around naked, and the Mob would rough you up when you owed them money. Shelly is the Casino equivalent of Baldwin's real-estate mogul in Glen Garry Glen Ross.

How far will Shelly go to keep things the "old way"? How much pressure will he put on Bernie when "The Cooler" starts getting luckier - and ineffective as a cooler?

This movie is fun and inventive and has great acting and dialogue. There are sex scenes that are steamy and nude so keep in mind who you watch this with. It's just barely a cut below the best casino-mobster movies. I recommend it.

I just finished watching this movie. Finally something that's different. It's about a guy (William Macy) who is so unlucky that his job is to bring bad luck to gamblers in a gambling casino that is run by a mean Alec Baldwin. His luck "cools" off the table and brings down any good luck at the gambling table so he is called a "cooler." This guy (Macy) is so unlucky that he literally only has to stand near the table for the lucky gamblers luck to stop short. Things change for Macy when he meets one of the pretty cocktail waitresses (Bella). The movie could sound corny and silly but that's not so at all and the story is refreshingly different from other movies out lately. This brief write up alone is not the whole story, there are other stories going on all at once which combine to make this a winner. Also if you get and watch the DVD version's special features section (after you watch the movie only) then the costume, set designers and others discuss the subliminal messages in the clothes and the set, etc. That was interesting as well.

Last but not at all least the acting was pretty terrific. Macy, Baldwin and Bella were all great! I really love Bill Macy and Alec Baldwin's acting has just taken off in the past 5 years or so. Neither one of them let me down. I really didn't expect to like this film as much as I did. I had bought an unlimited viewing Blockbuster card and have been seeing so many movies lately that were supposed to be good but were instead boring or disappointing. This one was neither. Actually though I really would give it 4 stars because only a superbly made film get 5 stars from me. For instance, the original Matrix, The Titanic, the first Star Wars and more recently The Last Samarai was a 5, but if I only gave this 4 stars then the film might be deemed too average; giving 5 stars gets it the extra attention.
There are surprises and tension throughout this picture and it's not as predictable as you will think. Buy or rent this film.

I loved "The Cooler".
It's a dark fable about a guy who literally drains people from their luck. He saps their good fortune. As played by William H. Macy, who film after film confirms his stature as one of our best living actors, Bernie is a limping "Sad Sack' kind of guy, who never gets a break. His mere presence at a table, however, instantly stops a high roller's streak. By strolling through the slots, the amount of coin-tinkling drops.
His unusual ability is used to the benefit of the casino owner, masterfully played by Alec Baldwin. In this Oscar-nominated role, Baldwin is note-perfect as a man who hates the family-friendly Vegas, and exists solely for his casino, the last bastion of the adult, decadent yet somehow classy, Rat Pack-era Vegas.
Maria Bello is a waitress, who becomes the light in Macy's life. Since he's happy, his ability to suck others dry of Lady Luck disappears, and makes him now useless to Baldwin.
The drama ratchets up with the addition of peripheral characters, including people who "upgrade" the casino to one of those despised resorts, people from Macy's past, and various denizens of the casino itself.
There's many nude scenes in the film, but I never once thought them to be gratuitous...heck, more are of Macy than of Bello...and they're all either sexy, funny or moving.
The ending, revealed in other reviews, I found perfectly satisfying.
The acting, screenplay and direction are all top-notch, never once losing it's indie cred yet looking fabulous nonetheless.
If you're looking for something good and grown-up, you can't lose here.