Review of Cooler, The

Introduction

If I picked this movie up in a rental shop, I am pretty certain I would hire it. The box looks good, instantly attractive and a quick read of the back cover, I`m sure, would guarantee money changing hands.

"Hmm!" I`d be saying to myself, "Maria Bello, enough said there I think. William .H. Macy as a mega loser, excellent, and Alec Baldwin in an Oscar nominated role - and in, one of the year`s best films.

"Sounds good to me, so why have I not heard more about this movie before? Probably the stars just aren`t `Hollywood` enough these days to cause a stir.

"Typical Tinseltown mentality, good looks equals blockbuster equals money in the bank and I can`t imagine WHM was ever considered for the lead role in Troy somehow. That`s it then I`m convinced."

But I`m not. I think this could have been a much, much better film. It`s looks great on paper and I`m sure the script reads well, otherwise how did debut director, Wayne Kramer persuade heavyweights like Baldwin and Macy to get on board? The problem is, it kind of loses its way half way through.

It begins with Bernie Lootz (Macy) limping through a casino and spreading his genetic bad luck to anyone he comes close to. Bernie is a `cooler`, an apparently mythical character employed by casino bosses to put the dampeners on punters` winning streaks - he does this by simply standing next to them and just, "being himself."

Coolers are mythical because casino bosses deny their existence but Bernie is very real and very good at his job, because, well he`s naturally unlucky.

He`s so unlucky in fact that he never even manages to get cream in his coffee, the waitress always seems to run out as soon as he sits down at the bar.

Bernie`s luck could be about to change though. The huge gambling debt he ran up with boss Shelly (Baldwin) is almost paid, he only has a week of forced labour left and he can`t wait to see the back of Vegas and Shelly. He`ll never forget Shelly though, he only has to feel his damaged kneecap to remember what his old friend is like when things are not going his way.

Bernie`s long lost son (Shawn Hatosi) and his pregnant fiancée (Estella Warren) have also shown up, and stunning casino waitress, Natalie (Bello) whom he has admired from afar, has suddenly taken a shine to him and after a few dates said the "L" word.

Things are looking up for Bernie but Shelly`s not happy about losing his best cooler and a loved-up Bernie is no good for business. Shelly is from the old school of casino bosses. He prefers to show cheats and card counters the error of their ways by taking a metal bar to their knees and using old style methods such as coolers and drinking a bottle of whisky a night. So you can imagine how he might deal with the prospect of losing one of his most valuable employees.

Sounds interesting doesn`t it? I`m almost tempted to watch it again. At this stage I was thinking, this is getting good, I`m actually interested in the Bello/Macy relationship and this ruthless, ego maniac Shelly has to get his just deserts. I thought it was going to go all Usual Suspects, Bernie, the secret criminal mastermind, clandestinely scoping the place for years then ripping Shelly off for shed-loads and disappearing overnight with the waitress. Maybe not.

The film is not a total loss though and this is mainly due to the outstanding performances from the three main lead characters. Macy is very good and totally believable, I don`t think anyone can portray losers quite the way he can. He has that kind of droopy hang-dog look and is so unassuming you could imagine he would be almost invisible in any situation, perfect for his occupation.

Bello is also very good. Kind of a rough diamond, she`s had a hard time personally, and trying to make it as a Vegas showgirl. She becomes smitten by Bernie`s self-loathing, unselfish nature and general niceness - completely the opposite from 99.9 per cent of the Vegas population. Their relationship becomes one of the most interesting things in the film and reminds me a bit of the Elisabeth Shue/Nicholas Cage affiliation in Leaving Las Vegas. Quite unlikely but also very necessary and real and both become dependent on each other.

Baldwin is great in this film though, by far the best performance here and quite possibly a career best, apart from his amazing but too short Glengarry, Glenross outing.

He has all the usual smart-mouthed remarks but also projects a kind of vulnerable madness that is particularly apparent when he`s calmly discussing Buddy`s `suicide` with Bernie. Buddy, played by Paul Sorvino, is the resident singer at the Shangri-la until his unfortunate demise brought on by contract negotiations and his impending replacement, Johnny Capella - you might recognise him as the irrelevant one from N`Sync (Joey Fatone).

This film is definitely worth renting but unless you`re a super-fan of any of the cast I wouldn`t part with much cash to own it. Personally I`d help Bernie realise his dreams by Leaving Las Vegas, it`s a much better film.

Video

Good quality transfer, nothing to complain about here, there are some very clever lighting techniques also which are explained in the extras.

Audio

There are some belting tunes during the film including Francis Albert at his best. There are some other big band style tracks also which have become synonymous with Vegas, but the most annoying part of the soundtrack is a very loud saxophone which plays solo at the most inappropriate times.

Features

Original Theatrical Trailer

Anatomy of a Scene

This is quite a good feature. Includes interviews with Macy and Kramer among others. Analysis of everything involved in a scene from lighting techniques to costume design. It`s interesting to see how different light levels can change the appearance of Bernie`s moods or how different sized suits can make him look more or less affluent.

Conclusion

This is an alright film which kind of falls flat on its face at times but is bailed out in the end by sterling performances from the lead cast. Alec Baldwin in particular excels and I think it`s worth seeing for this alone. Worth a look but I wouldn`t waste an important night in on it.