Review of The Cooler (2003) by Tom H — 29 Jul 2004

The Cooler is an extremely bitterwsweet type of film. For about every laugh, every happy moment, there is a tear, and there is a depressing moment. A character study type of romance is presented in a mobster style atmosphere with its bright and flashy casino, legally dismissive bosses, and dog-eat-dog world.

If you ever heard of lady luck, be prepared for a Casio owner's dream. Bernie Lootz is the unluckiest guy on the planet. His luck is so bad, it even runs off on people nearby him. He is used by an old fashioned mobster in a casion to walk by people who are winning money because just standing next to them will cause their luck to suddenly vanish. Then he meets the girl he may finally settle down with Natalie, the girl of his dreams. But as he grows to love her, his luck changes and everyone starts winning at the casion. This persents a bit of a problem.

The Cooler was a low budget film that did not receive a huge amount of attention at the box office nor at many award shows either. I find that rather sad considering the star power. The Cooler has incredibly skillful actors such as William H. Macy and Alec Baldwin - types of legends among legends in their fields who do wonders for characters who are in a dilemma that is slightly familiar from time to time. This is the first film I have seen Maria Bello and she certainly keeps up with these talents.

This love story takes place where you would least suspect it - Las Vegas. The crime, the prositution, the greed, the city of sin, just about every type of guilty deed that is done is known to stay here. Just about every act that the bible tells you not to do is found here. In a highly artificial, corrupt backdrop, Natalie and Bernie are desperately trying to discover themselves and one another out.

What I like about the film is perhaps the dynamics and levels that are thought out in this film. You see, as his mood changes so does how good he is on the job. When he is happy, the casino pays more than it makes and when he is sad, the casino makes godly profits. Though, his luck and mood play off one another. At times he will become sad and not express this but will be mentioned by the how casino is doing or other times he is becoming happy and you know that the casino is not doing as well. The casion is the inverse of how well Bernie is and we can sense that one will only harm the other to go farther, as do many people in the name of self-progress.

The Cooler is saved from a type of conventional feeling by extremely great acting, a different atmosphere, and a depth over the mechanics and people struggling to get what they want and need out of Bernie. The Cooler is a very overlooked film that if you happen to see, is certainly with a rental.