The Cooler (2003)

Director Wayne Kramer's took on quite a venture when he made his 2003 effort, "The Cooler." Why? Because it was released just eight years after Martin Scorsese's "Casino" – the greatest film ever made about mob corruption in the Las Vegas casino industry. In fact, some critics dismissed "The Cooler" as too predictable and felt it overly mined some of the same territory as "Casino." I disagree. In a comparatively weak year for Hollywood, "The Cooler" was my favorite picture of 2003. Rather than "Casino," I prefer to equate "The Cooler" with David Lynch's 1986 masterpiece, "Blue Velvet," in that a dark underworld brews beneath the surface of an otherwise innocuous setting.A cooler is apparently a term casinos used to describe someone so inherently unlucky that his mere presence at a table game would cause other gamblers to lose money. A Casino boss would send his cooler to a table where a guest was on a winning streak. The cooler would theoretically end the hot streak, thereby preventing the casino from losing a large chunk of money to one gambler. Did casinos really utilize coolers? I don't know. It seems a little far-fetched, but Kramer shows us how it works in the opening scenes. William H. Macy is at his meek, downtrodden, everyman best as Bernie Lootz, a former gambling addict now working as a cooler for casino boss Shelly Kaplow, brilliantly played by Alec Baldwin. If you recall his five minutes of hot-tempered verbal abuse from David Mamet's 1993 film, "Glengarry Glen Ross," Baldwin has basically taken that character, toned it down a shade, and set him in a Vegas gambling house. Baldwin's Kaplow operates the casino with an iron fist, and nobody tells him what to do – save for his mob connection, Nicky Fingers. (And if that isn't the greatest mafia name in cinema history, I don't know what is.) Enter Larry Sokolov, played by Ron Livingston – a recent Ivy League grad sent by the new owners to bring the casino into the 21st century. Sokolov's ideas run counter to everything Shelly Kaplow stands for – in essence, the recent effort to make Las Vegas more of a family-friendly vacation destination, complete with the beautification and ornamentation despised by the "old guard." Conflict also arises when Bernie Lootz' son and his wife show up at the casino, only to mock its stodgy vapidity. Shelly's world is crumbling around him, and he's bound and determined to make everyone else pay the price. The result is a taut, vivid yarn depicting the sometimes shockingly violent unraveling of the mid-century Las Vegas casino industry as seen through the eyes of the Alec Baldwin character. Baldwin received his only Oscar nomination for this role, and it is indeed the best work of his long, successful career. Coincidentally, Tim Robbins won Best Supporting Actor that year for his role in Clint Eastwood's "Mystic River." Robbins is always solid, and that picture was a surefire winner, but as the years have passed, I remember Baldwin's performance as though I've just seen it for the first time; I can't say the same for Robbins.William H. Macy gives one of the three best performances of his long career as well – the other two being 1996's "Fargo" and 1999's "Magnolia." And Maria Bello scores too as Bernie's love interest. The cast is strong, the screenplay (by Wayne Kramer and Frank Hannah) is a real gem, as it laments the passing of a bygone time and place, while simultaneously bidding it good riddance. Unfortunately, Kramer's work since then (including "Running Scared" and "Crossing Over") hasn't lived up to the vast potential of "The Cooler." "The Cooler" was lost in the shuffle of Christmas releases in 2003, and it never gained the audience it deserved. It's worth seeking out "The Cooler," for the performances, as much as the script and James Whitaker cinematography – which lay bare the violent, uneasy marriage of the mob and the Vegas casino industry of the past. It's a winner, and it's this month's Buried Treasure.

What to think of this one? I've seen it at least two times before and every time I get sucked in by the excellent William H. Macy and Maria Bello as the against-all-odds couple in a world that they fell into, even if, rationally, they made their own choices. A really big problem for me is that this slick-styled film (not much wrong with that, but maybe a little too slick at times) has a story that is based on science-fiction. Sure, I'll believe that casinos would try all kinds of things to keep their customers losing, but 'The Cooler' takes this concept way too far to accommodate an eventually uplifting story where it really should have been more realistic; it is only because of the aforementioned sympathetic couple that somehow keeps me turning an eye.The 'other stories' in this (Buddy, Shelly, Larry, Lootz' son, the new singer) are not very well intertwined (especially the one with his son), so that the whole has a haphazard feel to it.Finally, the soundtrack is one of the most appropriate and beautiful I've ever heard, so I must take that into consideration, too - even if the theme popped up just about éverywhere. It's really too bad about the science-fiction part.A small 7 out of 10, all in all.

Alec Baldwin and Maria Bello were RIGHTFULLY nominated for several awards, but unfortunately did not win many..What surprised me most was that William H.Macy was not even nominated for a single award, although I feel he has given an excellent performance in the tile role of "The Cooler"The movie has a good pace and is not dull for a minute.Excitement and anticipation are combined in the right proportion..The direction is smooth.. The movie should have done better at the box-office..Performances are truly worth watching.

Wayne Kramer has made remarkable cinema in 'The Cooler'. 'The Cooler' is about a 'Cooler' and his twisted life. It's film that grows on you, it's a film that succeeds in it's mission. Remarkable Direction by Kramer is the mainstay of this 'COOL' film.'The Cooler' is one of those rare films, that have a terrific start, a terrific middle and a terrific end as well. Sure it does few it's share of minuses, but at the end of the day, it's an exceptional film.Coming right away to the acting department, Alec Baldwin is fantastic in a supporting role. William H. Macy essays a very difficult part with remarkable ease and understanding! He's a great actor, hope he gets his due soon. Maria Bello looks stunning as usual and delivers a terrific performance from start to end. Shawn Hatosy and Estella Warren are passable.I just loved 'The Cooler'... so from my side, Two Thumbs Up!