A loser cursed with bad luck gets the chance to change his fortune in Director Wayne Kramer's The Cooler.
The brilliant William H. Macy stars as Bernie, one of the best casino coolers in Las Vegas. He is on a roll of such bad luck that he can control the casino's winnings just by standing at the table!
With no family and no friends, he lives in a motel and works for old-school casino owner Shelly (played fantastically by Alec Baldwin). He is Bernie's only "friend" but this is also a "friend" who crippled him. Nothing is good in his life...until Natalie, a waitress at the casino, takes an interest in him.
As their relationship grows, his luck changes and he can no longer "cool" the table, which annoys Shelly to say the least... he is the kind of man you do not want to annoy. The same can be said of Mario Bello (Coyote Ugly and ER) who plays Natalie, the strong female lead.
This film takes place over a period of a week. Although there is a hint of a TV movie style (particularly in the opening credits and music) it is very watchable and engrossing. With explicit scenes of sex and shocking violence it is definitely one for the more grown up audience, a very gritty movie with scenes that would shock even the most desensitized viewer.
The chemistry between the leads is great, if you can get pass the initial look of them being wrong together. Overall the casting is superb, from the bit parts up to the leads. With plenty of twists and surprises this is definitely one to watch out for...
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