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| Cooler, The |
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  (9/10)
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Runtime: 101 |
| Public Rating: 7.77 (22 votes) |
Director: Wayne Kramer |
MPAA Rating:  |
| Genre: Drama |
Year: 2003 |
| Writer(s): Wayne Kramer / Frank Hannah |
| Distributor: Content International / Lion's Gate |
| Reviewed by: Brian Andrews |
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This is a fantastic movie.
First, let’s get the plot out of the way: William H. Macy plays Bernie Lootz, a “Cooler” (a guy who hangs around casino patrons who are on a winning streak to cool them down so they start losing again) for Shelly’s (Alec Baldwin) Golden Shangri-La Casino in Las Vegas. This guy is the personification of bad luck. Not only does he bring bad luck to others, he brings it to himself. For example, every time he stops for a cup of coffee at the casino bar, the bartender (Ellen Greene) always seems to be out of cream. He really is a poor schmuck. On such a coffee creak one night, he meets Natalie (Maria Bello), a cocktail waitress at the casino. The two begin to get close and things begin to look up for Bernie, much to the chagrin of Shelly. What ensues is a story of love, redemption, and, most fittingly seeing as how the film takes place in Vegas, luck.
Secondly, the performances.
William H. Macy adds to his spectacular spectrum of oddball characters with his portrayal of Bernie, a lovable loser. The film, as one movie-goer mentioned in the screening I attended, employs a lot of close-ups and the audience sees every wrinkle and imperfection on his face, which only adds to the conviction of the character he is playing. Without saying a word you can tell that this man has accepted his lot in life as someone who will bring everyone around him down. It is remarkable, then, to witness his transformation into a guy who finally, FINALLY has some good luck thrown his way when he and Natalie begin to fall in love. Again, without saying a word, you know that his life is beginning to turn around. There is one scene in particular where Bernie is talking to Shelly, who has noticed this change in Bernie mostly because when Bernie is around the casino patrons, they seem to keep on winning, having the opposite effect of what Bernie is supposed to be there for. He tries to assure Shelly that nothing has changed and he is just as glum as always, but when he turns around and faces the audience and begins to walk away from Shelly, his frown literally turns upside-down and the mood change is tangible. It is a testament to Macy as an actor that he can pull this off so convincingly and with such ease.
Maria Bello, as well, is a revelation. She has impressed in mediocre movies before (‘Coyote Ugly’, ‘Auto Focus’), but here she is truly given a chance to shine. Her acting is fearless and confident, and she inhabits the role of Natalie, who has a few secrets of her own, with care and respect for the character. I was really rooting for her and Bernie. Natalie proves to be an incarnation of good ol’ Lady Luck for Bernie and the burgeoning relationship between the two is real and honest.
Alec Baldwin, I think, turns in the standout performance here. While he has absolutely proved himself to be a fine actor (he’s always been one of my favorites) in the past, his turn as Shelly is alternately sleazy-casino-boss and old-school-businessman being forced into the 21st century. While this role could easily have been a stereotype, Baldwin makes Shelly human, albeit faulted, and the audience can tell that he has true feelings for his old compadre Bernie, even when the chips, so to speak, are down and things become more business than personal. I genuinely felt for Shelly’s predicament: he‘s run this casino for years to great success, but the place is beginning to lose its edge to the other higher profile, glitzier casinos on the Strip and he must, sooner or later, give in to the powers that be and update. He will not modify his existing blueprint without a fight however, and gives the casino consultant (Ron Livingston) a very hard time about convincing him what he knows is, ultimately, the truth about the shape of things in the gaming world. He is caught between a rock and a hard place and Baldwin conveys Shelly’s dilemma with truth and ferocity. I would be especially surprised and disappointed if he, if not all three of the leads, was not nominated come Oscar time.
The remainder of the cast all perform like pros, including Greene as the casino bartender, Livingston (actually turning in a decent perf for once) as the casino consultant (I guess that’s what his character is supposed to be), Joey Fatone as a young crooner that is being positioned as the next Harry Connick, Jr., and Paul Sorvino as the old casino crooner who will, eventually, be forced out of the casino as part of the out-with-the-old makeover of the Golden Shangri-La.
Mention must be made of the director, Wayne Kramer. He impresses with his visual style and storytelling prowess in a way that I have not seen since Paul Thomas Anderson dazzled America with ‘Boogie Nights’. He is extremely confident with the performances he wants out of his actors and it shows. He also knows exactly what he wants from the camera and what kind of visual experience he wants the audience to have. The camerawork is fluid and smooth, complemented very nicely by Mark Isham’s languid score, and, while Vegas is not exactly a fresh locale for film settings, the city comes alive as any supporting character. The lights and energy of the city produce the desired effect of a sleepless, spellbinding, and, at times, constricting place to be.
All in all, a terrific piece and a show that deserves recognition. Hopefully Jack Valenti will lift the Academy screener ban so that everyone outside of the specialty film world will be able to enjoy this picture. Kudos to all involved.
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