Barnes & Noble

One of last year's most talked-about movies, this modest independent production crams more entertainment value into 100 minutes than most major-studio "blockbusters." The story, which fuses crime drama and black comedy, unfolds against the faux-glam backdrop of contemporary Las Vegas, the erstwhile "Sin City" gradually transformed into a family-friendly tourist spot. Shelly Kaplow (Alec Baldwin) manages a shabby remnant of the town's Mob-controlled past, the Shangri-La casino, where old-school high rollers feel right at home. Whenever a player starts to get hot, Shelly deploys his secret weapon, a "cooler" named Bernie Lootz (William H. Macy). Bernie is a lifelong loser whose bad luck is actually contagious -- a casual brush to the shoulder is usually enough to break a winning streak. But when Bernie inaugurates an improbable affair with sympathetic cocktail waitress Natalie (Maria Bello), his own luck begins to turn and his talent for "cooling" diminishes -- which makes Shelly very, very angry. The key to The Cooler's success is casting: Few actors play losers better than Macy. (Think Fargo and Boogie Nights.) Also, Bello projects a mature worldliness perfect for Natalie, and former leading man Baldwin -- not exactly known for being warm and fuzzy -- perfectly combines the arrogance, cruelty, and misplaced loyalty that makes Shelly such a compelling jerk. The minor roles are filled just as carefully, with Paul Sorvino registering solidly as a washed-up lounge singer and Shawn Hatosy scoring as Bernie's dishonest, disrespectful son. Deconstructing The Cooler scene by scene, character by character, you'd find very little that was new or striking. But from these common building blocks director Wayne Kramer erects a shining edifice that stands head and shoulders above most other big-screen entertainment these days. Like the Shangri-La's staff and clientele, Kramer has disdained the new and glitzy, using traditional storytelling methods to put over a genuinely engaging yarn. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Writer/director Wayne Kramer offers a glimpse into the aging Las Vegas casino world with the romantic drama The Cooler. Bernie Lootz (William H. Macy) is extremely unlucky at gambling, and he owes the Shangri-La casino over 100,000 dollars. He is so unlucky that he is hired as a "cooler," someone to gamble next to high rollers and give them some of his bad luck to stop them from winning. This arrangement works out for awhile, until Bernie has almost paid off his debt and meets cocktail waitress Natalie Belisario (Maria Bello). The two start to fall in love and Bernie's luck begins to change. However, the old-fashioned mob boss Shelly Kaplow (Alec Baldwin) isn't going to let Bernie go so easily. Meanwhile, Larry Sokolov (Ron Livingston) arrives on the scene to help update the business management of the old mobster-run casino. Also starring Joey Fatone and Paul Sorvino as lounge singers. The Cooler was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in the dramatic competition at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. Andrea LeVasseur

Product Details

• UPC: 031398118244
• Source: LIONS GATE
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Español
• Time: 1:42:00
• Sales Rank: 26,303

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