The Cooler (2003) USA
The Cooler Image Cover
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Director:Wayne Kramer
Studio:Lions Gate
Writer:Frank Hannah, Wayne Kramer
Rating:3.5 (108 votes)
Rated:R
ASIN:B0001EFV7C
UPC:9781594351693
Price:$9.98
Awards:Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 16 nominations
Genre:Drama
Release:2004-04-27
IMDb:0318374
Duration:101
Picture Format:Anamorphic Widescreen
Aspect Ratio:1.85:1
Sound:Dolby Digital 5.1
Languages:English
Subtitles:English, Spanish
Features:Sundance Channel's "Anatomy of a Scene"
Music-only track in 5.1 Dolby
Wayne Kramer  ...  (Director)
Frank Hannah, Wayne Kramer  ...  (Writer)
 
William H. Macy  ...  Bernie Lootz
Alec Baldwin  ...  Shelly Kaplow
Maria Bello  ...  Natalie Belisario
Shawn Hatosy  ...  Mikey
Ron Livingston  ...  Larry Sokolov
Paul Sorvino  ...  Buddy Stafford
Estella Warren  ...  Charlene
Arthur J. Nascarella  ...  Nicky Fingers Bonnatto
Joey Fatone  ...  Johnny Cappella
M.C. Gainey  ...  Highway Officer (as MC Gainey)
Ellen Greene  ...  Doris
Don Scribner  ...  Lou
Tony Longo  ...  Tony
Richard Israel  ...  Marty Goldfarb
Timothy Landfield  ...  The Player
Comments: When your life depends on losing... the last thing you need is lady luck.

Summary: The premise of this swinging Vegas picture is enough to carry it over its narrative rough spots. The unluckiest sap on the planet (William H. Macy) is employed as a "cooler" at a casino; his very presence can chill the hot streak of any patron on a roll. He's valued by the old-school manager of the place, a role given a two-fisted, bourbon-swilling incarnation by Alec Baldwin. Macy means to quit, but then he falls for a waitress (the excellent Maria Bello, from "Permanent Midnight")--might his luck be changing? The subplots are pretty much a mess, but the frank sex scenes between Macy and Bello give the movie a truly offbeat feel. The tawdry air of a second-rate casino is also nicely done: This is not the new family-friendly Las Vegas, but a tough place of superstitions, sinister back rooms, and shabby motels. The characters are perfectly at home. "--Robert Horton"