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The Cooler 2003 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Wayne Kramer
R, 103 min. (strong sexuality, violence, language, drug use) |
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Starring: William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, Maria Bello, Shawn Hatosy, Rong Livingston, Paul Sorvino, Estella Warren
Producers: Sean Furst, Michael A. Pierce
Screenplay: Frank Hannah, Wayne Kramer
Cinematography: Jim Whitaker
Distributor: Lions Gate Films
Released: 11.26.03 (Limited) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
William H. Macy has played this type of character before - the down-on-his-luck loser who just can't seem to get a break.
He plays Bernie Lootz, a so-called "Cooler" that glides through a Las Vegas casino, with bad luck following his every step.
His job - find the winners and make them losers by simply standing next to them for a few seconds. In a world where every
possible advantage is sought to give casinos the edge over the gambler, a Cooler (whether legitimate or not) would be
a valuable asset. Bernie's lucky boss, Shelly Kaplow (Alec Baldwin in a career performance), harnesses his bad luck to
keep his modest casino in the money. First time director and writer Wayne Kramer shows a competence well beyond
his experience by focusing his story on characters who seem both authentic and ordinary. His picture is a throwback to
a more glorified Las Vegas that sold its glitz and glamour with panache and class. It's also one of the more entertaining
films of the year.
But there's a problem. Bernie's luck has suddenly changed overnight (bad luck has been replaced with good) after he meets and sleeps with a cocktail
waitress, Natalie (Maria Bello), whom he helped get a better position in Shelly's casino. Of course, this doesn't go
over well with Shelly, who orders Natalie to stay out of Bernie's life for good. Yet Bernie has never been happier, and
Natalie finds something in Bernie's despondent soul. This leads to a conflict between the three, while Shelly must deal
with the interests of a mob boss (Arthur J. Nascarella) who wants to see the casino upgraded considerably. There is also
a subplot involving Bernie's estranged son, Mikey (Shawn Hatosy), and his girlfriend (Estella Warren), as the two try and
swindle money from Bernie in order to gamble and feed their drug habit.
The film does a worthy job of weaving these characters seamlessly between a storyline that grows in complexity and
an old hand feel of a Las Vegas long since past. The relationships between Bernie and Shelly, Bernie and Natalie, and
Shelly and the mob reveal the nuances of a script that eschews shallow melodrama for the real world touch of characters
that define themselves through measured demeanor. Because Kramer refuses to allow reliable clichés to creep into his
film, The Cooler has a punch that a classic film noir would eventually deliver. And Jim Whitaker's patient
cinematography adds a calm collective to the proceedings.
Although Macy gives yet another fine performance, it's the supporting characters that enrich the film's already impressive
cast. Maria Bello yields another dimension to Natalie's conflicted dilemma, as her unexpected love for Bernie forces her
to make a stand against the frightening duality of Shelly's personality. She's given her best effort to date. Not to be outdone
is Alec Baldwin, whose unsettling Shelly shows both a grace and goodness and a nasty mean streak at the same time.
Consider his range in scenes that oscillate from gracious mentor to vicious enforcer, and you begin to recognize the talent
that made him a hot commodity years ago. I think it's his finest performance to date and is deserving of Oscar recognition.
The Cooler relies on powerful scenes between Baldwin, Macy, and Bello to make its presence felt. It's a good
reminder why even the best screenplays need effective performances from its cast to grab the viewer and keep them
interested throughout. For Kramer, this is certainly a fine start to a career that should be in the fast lane soon enough.
As if Las Vegas wasn't intriguing enough already, this film only adds to the curiousity of those who haven't experienced the
lights that never go dark.
© 2003 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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