tomsview Everything I know about gambling in casinos comes from watching movies. Maybe it put me off the real thing because if the movies are to be believed, nobody seems to be having much fun and you can consider yourself lucky if you get away with just a broken hand.Of all the gambling movies, the characters in "The Cooler" seem to be having the least fun of all. The whole thing is depressing enough to make you want to call the Gambling Helpline.Bernie Lootz (William H Macy) plays a cooler, a person who is hired to bring bad luck to gamblers at the Shrangri La Casino - even his name suggests loose. Alec Baldwin plays Shelly Kaplow, the near psychotic manager of the casino who doesn't realise his old-school management style is coming to an end.We learn that Bernie and Shelly have had a lot of history together, but now Bernie wants to break the bond. As Bernie becomes involved with Natalie Bellasario (Maria Bello) a cocktail waitress at the casino, his status as a cooler begins to change. When Bernie's low-life son appears on the scene it sets in train events that lead to an unexpected ending.William Macy brings that familiar world-weary persona to the part; he tends to speak with a Mamet-like cadence in all his movies and his unusual style marks him as one of the most unique actors around. Alec Baldwin can play angry with the best of them and in "The Cooler" he gives his character a bipolar personality that puts you on edge waiting for his next manic burst of violence.Maria Bello's warm, understated style is the perfect balance to the supercharged performances of Macy and Baldwin. Were those nude scenes essential to the plot? They never are, but they do provide a break from all the gloom.Scorsese's "Casino" is the primer for understanding what happens in "The Cooler" especially the dealings between Shelley and the owners of the casino represented by Nicky 'Fingers' Bonnatto (played by Ed Harris lookalike, Arthur J. Nascarella)."The Cooler" is not as mesmerising as the "The Gambler" with James Caan, but I would rate it ahead of other trips to the casino such as "Croupier" or "Hard Eight".

dushyant chaturvedi For the uninformed, Coolers are those who supposedly bring bad luck to the gambling table and are an old fashioned ploy by the casino bosses to make sure that the money of the house stays in the house. They are used to cool the hot winning spree of the players. The Cooler is a story which revolves around three characters, the casino boss Shelly (Alec Baldwin in his only Oscar nominated role), his cooler Bernie (William H Macy) and the woman he falls in love with, Natalie (Maria Bello). Shelly is being pestered by his other partners to have the casino renovated because they feel it is too old fashioned. In particular there is a Harvard graduate (Ron Livingston) who is giving him advice about how to run the casino. To compound matters for him, the cooler begins to lose his touch when he falls in love with a waitress who works at the casino. Shot stylishly this is a delightful movie. The jazz throughout the film gives it a nostalgic flavor. The songs playing in the background are excellent. The real strength of the film is the acting. Baldwin is intense, mean, foul mouthed and scary which is a new act for him but he pulls it off pretty well. Bello is very good as the woman who inadvertently falls in love with Macy. But this is Macy's movie out and out. He is excellent as the crippled, tense and afraid of his own luck cooler and you will find yourself rooting for him. 4 out of 5. Watch this for Macy. He will end up mesmerizing you.

Mere Humsafar Alec Baldwin and Maria Bello were RIGHTFULLY nominated for several awards, but unfortunately did not win many..What surprised me most was that William H.Macy was not even nominated for a single award, although I feel he has given an excellent performance in the tile role of "The Cooler"The movie has a good pace and is not dull for a minute.Excitement and anticipation are combined in the right proportion..The direction is smooth.. The movie should have done better at the box-office..Performances are truly worth watching.

evanston_dad Decent enough film about a man who's luck is so bad (William H. Macy) he's hired as a "cooler" for a casino, someone whose mere presence near a gaming table can put the kibosh on a winning streak.A bit of good luck drifts into his life in the guise of Maria Bello, who would be good luck for anyone, but a big slice of bad luck hounds him in the shape of Alec Baldwin, a gangster thug who would be bad luck for anyone. Things go from bad to worse in a mildly engaging but not very memorable movie.Baldwin received an Oscar nomination for his performance and Bello was considered a sure thing for a nomination, but she was strangely left off the shortlist when nominations that year were announced.Grade: B