The Cooler (2004)

DVD

We must submit to one piece of magic in The Cooler: that a guy can be so unlucky just being in his presence will cause you to be unlucky too. They call him a "cooler," according to gambling legend, because that's what he does; he turns hot roulette wheels and hot blackjack tables cold as ice.

William Macy is Bernie Lootz aka "The Cooler" and in Las Vegas his talent for bad luck is a good thing. This is especially true for Shelly Kaplow (Alec Baldwin), owner of an old-time Vegas casino about to be taken over by everyone's favorite cubicle-dweller Ron Livingston (Office Space). Shelly likes having Bernie around; it keeps his profit margins up. And whenever it starts getting hot out on the floor, the call goes out to the guy who can put a chill in the room. It's like Macy is still doing one of the oddball superhero characters from Mystery Men. He is Bad Luck Boy.

All would be swell if Bernie weren't planning on leaving just when the casino needs him most. And because this set-up would be nothing without a complication, Natalie (Maria Bello) enters. A down and out cocktail waitress with a just-got-out-of-the-shower hairstyle, Natalie defies the odds and falls for the guy. And love, as usual, changes everything.

Though Alec Baldwin earned an Academy Award nomination for his role, Macy is the standout. The living embodiment of Droopy Dog (Hello folks!) his bad luck attitude is fun to watch. He curdles cream this poor schmo, his hand on the back of your shoulder will cause you to crap out. And yet, when the love of his life changes all that, and begins to make the loser into a winner, we know that can't last either.

There is a nice moment when Bernie's son and possibly pregnant daughter-in-law show up. Bernie's boy is not as impressed with Dad's talent as he might be, but eagerly accepts the money Dad offers to help his long-lost son. And the battle between old Vegas and the new "family-friendly" version is nicely embodied in a heroin-addicted saloon singer (Paul Sorvino) who gets to play the big room at last. In the end, the turn of fate that makes winners into losers and vice versa is just so. A simple tale. Well-told. With a twist.

Director and crew commentaries, plus Anatomy of a Scene and Storyboard Comparisons.

A nice Indie film with good performances and good intentions, The Cooler is a lucky choice for a rental and not so lucky purchase. But once around the table it's a winner.