Chances are that at some point in your life you’ve felt unlucky. Even if it was just for a day, you may have felt as though you have been bequeathed a superpower that causes you to get the raw end of every deal, to trip up constantly despite there being nothing there to fall over. It is this feeling that has led to thousands of books, charms and DVDs on the topic of luck being sold on Amazon and elsewhere, though it’s difficult to really explain. In the 2003 movie The Cooler, our protagonist Bernie Lootz (William H. Macy) not only feels this way constantly, but can even pass his bad luck on to others.
Still, Lootz has managed to turn his bad hand into a lucrative career under the tutelage of his boss Shelly (Alec Baldwin). Lootz is entrusted with wandering the casino floor of the Shangri-La, ending winning streaks wherever they may be. He is a loser, a “cooler”. Alas, this system can’t last forever as the modern era of Las Vegas enters the Shangri-La and investors threaten to update the old-style casino. Lootz is ready to leave the casino for good, but everything changes yet again when he helps a waitress named Natalie (Maria Bello) get a new job.
At this point, you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking The Cooler is another gloomy situational comedy based in a casino. After all, there are plenty of casino movies that follow a character that must navigate their way through the glamorous yet intimidating world of gambling. Plus, the early 2000s were packed with casino-related blockbusters, with Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Owning Mahowny (2003), The Last Casino (2004) and High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (2003) being just some of the notable releases. There’s just something about the world of casinos and Las Vegas that inspires writers and movie directors. For decades, casinos have remained a staple in popular culture featuring in huge franchises such as James Bond, Oscar-winning titles like Rain Man (1988) and directorial masterpieces like Martin Scorsese’s Casino (1995). Perhaps it is the inevitable unpredictability that accompanies any casino experience, or the wide range of characters that can be found on casino floors.
That said, The Cooler manages to stand out among these other movies, possibly due to the ever-present feeling that more is happening than what we as viewers see on the screen. Directed by Wayne Kramer, The Cooler has a subtle way of encapsulating life in Las Vegas while also focusing on the twists, turns and internal contradictions of its main characters’ lives. Meanwhile, you can tell there are surprises and surprising developments bubbling below the surface, ready to strike our characters at any time.
Take Baldwin’s character, Shelly, for example. He is capable of infinite kindness, and yet we are told early on that he knee-capped Lootz for not repaying his gambling debts before hiring him. Another example of this affectionate cruelty is present in how he treats Buddy Stafford (Paul Sorvino), the broken, smack-head lounge singer who is about to be replaced. Meanwhile, Lootz and Natalie manage to create something even more astonishing – an onscreen, physical relationship with believability. As the two fall in love, their passion for each other is palpable and yet real, closer to real life than to the movies. Soon, it seems that Lootz’s talent as a Cooler is slowly dwindling, which also leads to many new troubles. As the movie progresses, it becomes clear that Lootz has in fact gone the other way, handing out luck to everyone he approaches.
It is during the early stages of this movie relationship that Lootz’s luck finally seems to be turning around. Well, except for when his son Mikey (Shawn Hatosy of Street Kings) arrives with his pregnant wife Charlene (Estelle Warren). As you may imagine, Lootz and Mikey’s mother were unlucky in love, and it soon becomes clear that Mikey isn’t exactly a nice guy. Still, Lootz is feeling good about life and invited his son into his home – a gamble that inevitably doesn’t pay off in the end.
Really, this is just a lengthy synopsis of what The Cooler has to offer. The real story deserves to be told within the movie, which is a definite must-see for movie fans with an edge. Unlike other casino movies that seem fake and far too glamorous, The Cooler is gritty and real, with worn characters scrambling to find a way through life.
This guest review was written by James Black
I love this film. It’s such a damn good movie with three great performances from Macy, Bello, and Baldwin. There used to be this amazing show on the Sundance Channel called Anatomy of a Scene which explains a key moment in the film and the importance of repetition in a movie.
I’t s a title not many people know, but I’ve seen it as well and it was a unique experience.