Taglines: Love …you have to play to win.
The Shangri-La Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas is managed by Shelly Kaplow, who hates what has been the Disneyfication of the Strip as he is “old school Vegas”, still doing things the old fashioned way catering to who he considers old fashioned clients, i.e. those who remember and admire people like the Rat Pack.
One of those old fashioned measures is to use threats, intimidation and violence, implied or real, to deal with players trying to scam the casino. Another old fashioned measure he has implemented is to employ Bernie Lootz as a “cooler”: turn the winning fortunes of casino players into losing ones. Bernie is a sad sack, a schmuck and a loser, so he does his job, and does it well, by hanging around those players with hot streaks and just being himself.
Bernie could not turn down Shelly’s offer of employment as he owes Shelly money, Shelly who broke Bernie’s knee for that debt, with the result being that Bernie still walks with a limp. Bernie will be able to pay Shelly off with one more week of employment, after which he is determined to leave Vegas forever, putting this miserable phase of his life behind him.
Things change for Bernie on two fronts. First, his estranged grown son Mikey and his very pregnant girlfriend Charlene enter his life, they who need money for the baby and who will get it any way they can. And second, Bernie is attracted to Natalie Belisario, a new waitress at the casino, who seems to be equally as attracted to him.
Natalie, who believes in the alignment of the stars affecting one’s life, only sees them in a relationship if they stay in Vegas. As such, Bernie has to decide if Natalie in his life is worth remaining in Vegas. Things may also be changing for Shelly as Nicky Bonnatto, one of his mob investors, has brought in a young Harvard grad named Larry Sokolov as an advisor to modernize the operation. Shelly may try to protect his way of life, against Nicky, Larry and others, in the only ways he knows how.
The Cooler is a 2003 American romantic drama film directed by Wayne Kramer. The original screenplay was written by Kramer and Frank Hannah. In old-school gambling parlance, a casino “cooler” is an unlucky individual, usually a casino employee, whose mere presence at the gambling tables usually results in a streak of bad luck for the other players.
The Cooler (2004)
Directed by: Wayne Kramer
Starring: William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, Maria Bello, Shawn Hatosy, Ron Livingston, Paul Sorvino, Estella Warren, Arthur J. Nascarella, Joey Fatone, Ellen Greene
Screenplay by: Frank Hannah
Production Design by: Toby Corbett
Cinematography by: Jim Whitaker
Film Editing by: Arthur Coburn
Costume Design by: Kristin M. Burke
Set Decoration by: Alice Baker
Music by: Mark Isham
MPAA Rating: R for strong sexuality, violence, language and drug use.
Distributed by: Lionsgate Films
Release Date: November 26, 2004
Visits: 58
