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William H. Macy, Maria Bello, Alec Baldwin, Shawn Hatosy, Ron Livingston ... see more see more... , Paul Sorvino , Estella Warren , Arthur J. Nascarella , M.C. Gainey , Ellen Greene , Joey Fatone , Don Scribner , Tony Longo , Richard Israel , Timothy Landfield , T. J. Gioia , Jewel Shepard , Gordon Michaels , Doc Watson , Frank Hannah , Dan Lemieux , Larry Elliott , Chris Platt , Norbert Ganska , Mitch Samboceti , Andrew Simbeck , Danny Grossen , Jeff Hill , Monet Beaman , Charlie Carr , Kanie Kastroll , Bryon Baker , John T. Kozeluh , Cherilyn Hayres , Monica White , Heather McHenry , James McCarthy , M.C. Fatone , Joe Conti

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... read more read more... 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, Rovi

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68% liked it

18,326 ratings

Critics

77% liked it

169 critics

R, 1 hr. 43 min.

Directed by: Wayne Kramer

Release Date: November 26, 2003

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DVD Release Date: April 27, 2004

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Stats: 945 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (945)

  • paulkoh110
    May 8, 2012
    paulkoh110
    In some ways, the film can be seen as a fairy tale. The protagonist is weak but at the end becomes something beyond human with the help of his muse. Beautifully shot and captures the spirit of Vegas after dark very well!
  • cosmo313
    April 16, 2012
    cosmo313
    From co-writer/director Wayne Kramer (but not the guy from the MC5) comes this stylish, charming, and underrated little gem of a movie about a professional loser. Bernie Lootz has perpetual bad luck, so he makes his living at a Vegas casino as a cooler- the guy they send in to en... read mored a gambler's hot streak. Bernie is great at his job, but his life (and his luck) begin to change when he meets and subsequently falls in love with Natalie, an utterly gorgeous waitress co-worker. This wouldn't be so bad if this change didn't also have an effect on Shelly Kaplow, the last of the old time gangster casino owners who is trying like hell to escape the Disneyfication of Vegas and keep things from changing.

    Filled with a great jazzy score from Mark Isham, a new twist on an old plot, decent writing, and terrific acting from a first rate cast, this is an exceptional romantic dramedy. Well, mostly drama, since the bulk of the humor is rather dark and melancholy. Indeed, there are actually some really dark moments throughout, but it's nothing as downbeat as Leaving Las Vegas.

    Macy is perfect as Bernie, and his weary facial expressions and impish mannerisms really nail the type of guy Bernie is. In many ways, this character is comparable to Macy's other perfect character Jerry from Fargo. MAria Bello is quite excellent as Natalie, and this film really helped her career take off. Turning in one of his last truly menacing dramatic performances is Alec Baldwin in an Oscar nominated turn as Shelly, the no-nonsense ruthless casino boss. Ron Livingston also is good in a supporting role as an Ivy League young gun trying to put Shelly out ot pasture.

    This is some really great stuff. It's sometiems rather uneven with the mix of wry romance with the dark underside of Vegas poking through, but in the end it all comes full circle and ends as it should, though you do need to be cool with Deus Ex Machina type stuff in order to accept the climax. Give this one a shot. It's a shame it's not as revered as it nees to be.
  • itsjustme2004
    October 14, 2010
    itsjustme2004
    Yet another good William H. Macy movie. Very well made and well acted movie. Seems like this would really be something that casinos do.
  • gor41
    September 22, 2010
    gor41
    Macy at his best supported by Bello as her star was rising and Baldwin at his scene stealing sinister peak. Just short of classic on account of the flimsy 'luck' premise being stretched beyond credulity.
  • SirPant
    September 29, 2009
    SirPant
    A very stylish, intelligent and cool film. I found the beginning sequence of the demolition of classic casinos extremely moving and I?ve never even been to Vagas! Recommended!
  • kenstachnik
    April 18, 2009
    kenstachnik
    I can't help but say the name of this film like the German's in the great escape.
  • matertenebraum
    April 16, 2009
    matertenebraum
    A "cooler" is a guy who stands next to you in a casino when you are having a winning streak that is suddenly interrupted. It is someone who has such a bad luck that people around him are influenced; he could be pretty important for casino bosses. The cooler here is Bernie and the... read more face of William H. Macy is perfect for him. The casino boss is Shelly in a wonderful performance from Alec Baldwin. Soon Bernie will leave, but not before he has met and fallen in love with Natalie, played by Maria Bello (for me only known from 'Payback', 'Coyote Ugly' and "A history of violence"), a third terrific performance. She seems to like him also and suddenly that means Bernie is lucky. This will give, unfortunately for Shelly and therefore himself as well, results on the casino floor. Things are getting complicated.

    The story is pretty original and entertaining on itself. A sub-plot that deals with the idea of remodeling the casino into a more modern one, not if it is up to Shelly, gives him a reason to be annoyed and show his more cruel side. Baldwin is at best in these scenes. The performances take the film to the next level. Baldwin won an Oscar nomination and it is pretty clear why. You believe him the entire time, no matter what he does. From Macy we expect a good performance, he is one of the best character-actors out there. I was also pleasantly surprised with Bello, an Oscar nomination would not have been strange here; she is very good, even great in the scenes with Macy. In the end 'The Cooler' is a good film, becoming better through performances, amusing all the way through.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    November 13, 2008
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "When your life depends on losing... the last thing you need is lady luck."

    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... read more 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.

    Review
    This movie is definitely worth seeing. Thinking back, all the buzz around Baldwin's performance is worthy. I thought Bello was good, just not so good as to garner all the praise for the role. Of course Macy is always great, and this seems like a role written just for him. It's great to see him in a lead role. Without giving away anything, the story got some interesting turns, but I kind of expected the ending from the flow of the movie. Maybe not precisely, but the gist of it...there was one loose end I would've liked tied up. With the time spent on the specific sub-plot, you'll probably also wonder.

    Great old school Vegas casino. It adds a fun background, especially if you like playing the odds.
  • fb619846742
    October 30, 2008
    fb619846742
    Overall a pretty well done movie. The trio of Macy, Bello, and Baldwin are outstanding, and really elevate this "Vegas" movie. I didn't buy some of the streotypes in this one, such as when Baldwin is shown beating up a guy ruthlessly. Do all casino owners in every movie of this t... read moreype have to be the mobster psycho types? Besides that, as said, the acting is fantastic, and while the ending leaves more to be desired, if you like casino movies and you like the character William H. Macy has mastered playing, you might wanna check this out.
  • fernandorafael
    May 18, 2008
    fernandorafael
    The Cooler is not that cool... The direction is terrible, thank God there's a good script to save the day. William H. Macy is very good, and it's too bad that Maria Bello wasn't. Ron Livingston was really bad and the ending, unplausible (even for this film). Shawn Hatosy and Este... read morella Warren were OK, and ALEC BALDWIN was terrific as the ultimate asshole, Shelly.

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Critic Reviews

Geoff Pevere
January 16, 2004
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

In reconstructing Macy's equal-opportunity loser persona as a romantic winner, The Cooler forgets what made its star so winning in the first place. Full Review

Jay Boyar
January 16, 2004
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel

A B-movie in the best sense: Unpretentious. Raffish. Just trashy enough to be six kinds of fun without making you hate yourself in the morning. Full Review

Rick Groen
January 16, 2004
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

A movie without a compass, switching pace and direction as haphazardly as a caffeinated SUV driver on a cellphone. Full Review

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
January 15, 2004
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It's pretty winning for a long way, reminding us that everything in life is a kind of gamble, and if you don't play, you'll never win. Full Review

Desson Thomson
December 19, 2003
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Had The Cooler stuck to its dark guns and not turned into a treacly, love-conquers-all fairy tale, this movie might have gone somewhere.

Ann Hornaday
December 19, 2003
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

A surprising, ingenious film.

Carla Meyer
December 19, 2003
Carla Meyer, San Francisco Chronicle

Baldwin bites into his role as if it were a 3 a.m. cheeseburger after a night of blackjack and booze. Full Review

Joe Baltake
December 19, 2003
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

The kind of low-key work that was prominent during television's Golden Age. Full Review

Eric Harrison
December 19, 2003
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle

A winning drama that's only slightly too pleased with its own playful conceits, The Cooler features strong performances and flows with the grace and assurance of a Sinatra song. Full Review

Tom Long
December 19, 2003
Tom Long, Detroit News

A safe bet.

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The Cooler Trivia

  • Tagline: When your life depends on losing... the last thing you need is lady luck.  Answer »
  • What Was Steve Mcqueen's Nickname in "The Great Escape."?  Answer »
  • Which movie has the following tagline... "When your life depends on losing... the last thing you need is lady luck."  Answer »
  • What 2003 film is this the plot of? In an old school Las Vegas casino, its top gambling jinx breaks his curse when he falls in love, much to his boss' consternation. (one cast member was a nominee for best supporting actor)  Answer »
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