"The Cooler"

William H. Macy
Maria Bello
Alec Baldwin
Ron Livingston
Paul Sorvino
Shawn Hatosy
Estella Warren

R           101min           2003

“The Cooler” Is about a man, Bernie Lootz (Macy), with the worse lucky, is so bad that it can rub off other people. He’s employee by the manager of the Shangri La, one of the last casino doing business the old way, to ‘cool’ anyone on a hot streak. Until his lucky changes when he meets his ‘Lady Luck’, played by Maria Bello, a waitress at the Shangri La.

If you’re looking for a good moral tale, this is your man. It’s a believable story with some unbelievable events. I found Macy acting perfection. You get engrossed in this film and root for these characters.

From the start Bernie Lootz is that everyday man, down on his luck, trying to change and find a better way. He is what you imagine what bad luck in Vegas will do to a person. It’s this character that makes you come to love the story. You care for Bernie and hope that he finds the happiness that he deserves.

Macy brings that everyday fell to Bernie. He acts him to perfection, from his bad knee to his rotten luck, Macy portrays him as a optimistic pessimist. He is down and out, with rotten luck and you empathies with Bernie’s plight. When Bernie finds love with a down on her luck waitress, he finds his ‘Lady Luck’ and everything in Bernie’s life changes.

An outstanding cast supports Macy. Alec Baldwin, as the manager of the Shangri La, gives you that old school mobster fill. Maria Bello plays her waitress with a heartbroken warm. Even Paul Sorvino came comes at up out of nowhere and grips you. It was a shocking role, for me to see, from Sorvino that he pulls off.

“The Cooler” is a rare film that was more of an Indy film done with mainstream talent. You care for the character and hope that meet with the best. It is a great ensemble piece. ‘The Cooler’ is a film that shouldn’t be missed.

I give it 4/5 Gs.