The Cooler
THE COOLERÂ (18)
D: Wayne Kramer
Lionsgate (Michael Pierce & Sean Furst)
USA 🇺🇸 2002 (released 2003)
101 mins
Drama
W: Frank Hannah & Wayne Kramer
DP: James Whitaker
Ed: Arthur Coburn
Mus:Â Mark Isham
William H. Macy (Bernie Lootz), Alec
Baldwin (Shelly Kaplow), Maria Bello(Natalie Belisario), Shawn Hatosy (Mikey), Ron Livingston (Larry Sokolov), Paul Sorvino (Buddy Stafford)
The Cooler is a very impressive indie piece which didn't get
an audience that it potentially deserved under it's limited theatrical release.
William H. Macy plays Bernie Lootz, a perpetually luckless
casino employee whose job it is to bring bad luck to high rollers. Things change though when he falls in love with a new waitress, much to the disappointment of stern casino boss Shelly
Kaplow.
William H. Macy gives a good leading performance here, but the
standouts are Maria Bello as the love interest and Alec Baldwin, who earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Mark Isham's excellent jazzy score also deserves a special
mention.
7/10
