The Cooler
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Alec Baldwin, Maria Bello, Ron Livingston, Shawn Hatosy, William H. MacyBrand: VMK
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 101 minutes
Published: 2004-04-01
DVD Release Date: 2004-04-27
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lions Gate
Product features:
- DVD Details: Actors: William H. Macy, Maria Bello, Alec Baldwin, Shawn Hatosy, Ron Livingston
- Directors: Wayne Kramer
- Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, NTSC. Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1; Number of discs: 1; Studio: Lions Gate
- DVD Release Date: April 27, 2004; Run Time: 101 minutes
Movie Reviews of The Cooler
Movie Review: You have to play the game to be lucky at love
Summary: 5 Stars
Bill Macy has made a career out of playing losers and actually wanted to put such roles behind him, but Wayne Kramer and Frank Hannah's script for "The Cooler" made that hard to do. Bernie Lootz is the title character and he is employed by Shelly Kaplow (Alec Baldwin) as a "cooler." Shelly runs the Shangri-La, the last "old school" (read "mob connected") casino in Las Vegas, and a cooler is the guy who brings an end to winning streaks. Bernie does this by just being himself; if he touches the roulette wheel, brushes your shoulder, or sits at your table, your luck turns bad. This particular talent is very useful to Shelly and now Bernie is just days away from paying off his debt to the casino and leaving Las Vegas behind for a place where there are clocks on the way and you can actually tell day from night. Needless to say, Shelly is not thrilled with this idea, and since Bernie's limp is a memento from their "negotiations."But Bernie has other concerns because he has made a surprising and magical connection with Natalie Belisario (Maria Bello) and actually has something to smile about for the first time in his life. Meanwhile Shelly is distracted because a group of "investors" have brought in Larry Sokolov (Ron Livingston), a hot shot from the Harvard Business School, who represents the new Las Vegas of subliminal persuasion and other modern innovations to persuade customers to lose large amount of money. Shelly hates the new way and insists that the perfection of Shagrai-La should remain untouched. However, he has a new problem, because Natalie is making Bernie happy and suddenly people are winning a lot of money at the casino. This, it does not need to be pointed out, is not good for business and steps must be taken.
What makes "The Cooler" stand out is that both parts of the Bernie and Shelly relationship have stories that can stand on their own. Trying to define their relationship is tricky because it is so multi-faceted that it is hard to get through everything to get to the bottom line. In fact, it is hard for Bernie and Shelly to reach that point themselves, and fate (or Lady Luck) has to help them along. Baldwin was nominated for a Supporting Actor Oscar and Macy's performance is just as good (if Bernie was not clearly a leading role, he could have been nominated in the same category as well). Together they make one of the more interesting odd couples we have seen on the screen in recent years and "The Cooler" is one of the better off beat films of 2003 that will not disappoint Macy's legion of fans.
Summary of The Cooler
Synopsis: William H Macy, Alec Baldwin. With Golden Globe Academy Award nominations, The Cooler is HOT!Item Type: DVD Movie
Item Rating: R
Street Date: 04/27/04
Wide Screen: yes
Director Cut: no
Special Edition: no
LanguageENGLISH
Foreign Film: no
Subtitlesno
Dubbed: no
Full Frame: no
Re-Release: no
Packaging: Sleeve Please note: This supplier will be closed on 11/24, 11/25, 12/26, 1/2 for the holidays. The shipping cut off is 12/10 to try and have the products delivered by Christmas.
The premise of this swinging Vegas picture is enough to carry it over its narrative rough spots. The unluckiest sap on the planet (William H. Macy) is employed as a "cooler" at a casino; his very presence can chill the hot streak of any patron on a roll. He's valued by the old-school manager of the place, a role given a two-fisted, bourbon-swilling incarnation by Alec Baldwin. Macy means to quit, but then he falls for a waitress (the excellent Maria Bello, from Permanent Midnight)--might his luck be changing? The subplots are pretty much a mess, but the frank sex scenes between Macy and Bello give the movie a truly offbeat feel. The tawdry air of a second-rate casino is also nicely done: This is not the new family-friendly Las Vegas, but a tough place of superstitions, sinister back rooms, and shabby motels. The characters are perfectly at home. --Robert Horton
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