The Cooler Review
by John Ulmer (johnulmer2003 AT msn DOT com)May 24th, 2004
THE COOLER (2003)
4/5 stars
REVIEW BY JOHN ULMER (Copyright, 2004)
"The Cooler" is a movie that essentially deals with two topics, the most evident being that of the love story between Bernie (William H. Macy) and his girlfriend (Maria Bello). The subplot deals with an ageing gangster whose casino is growing "outdated" -- in the film's most memorable scene, a dying singer (Paul Sorvino) tells the owner of the casino (Alec Baldwin) an analogy about lion prides and their relation to the casino world. He explains that when a young lion challenges, and beats, the old "king" of the pride, the older lion must retreat, and eventually die. Baldwin is that old lion, and his opponent is a fresh Harvard punk, played by Ron Livingston ("Office Space," "Adaptation"). The Harvard graduate wants to demolish the current casino and open a mega-commercial establishment with pools, theaters, rollercoasters; you name it, they've got it. The old lion, frustrated and nostalgic, doesn't want any part of this. "Nostalgia belongs in museums," the young kid tells him.
Indeed, the methods of Baldwin's casino are so outdated that he uses "coolers." A cooler is supposedly a very unlucky person who manages to spread his misfortune to winning tables. The best cooler in the world is Bernie, who roams around the casino floors looking for his next target. In perhaps the most energetic and enjoyable scene of the movie, Bernie is introduced through a series of glossy shots of him passing by tables and ever so gently tapping them with his fingers, therefore "spreading" his bad luck.
Bernie is the most unlucky man in the world. When he asks for cream in his coffee, there is never any cream left. "It's okay, it doesn't matter," he says, every day, forming a standard routine. And then one day, Bernie's new girlfriend confesses her love for him. He strides into the casino with a beaming smile, and suddenly, his extremely bad luck reverses. When he asks for cream, he gets it, for what must be the only time in his entire life. He exchanes startled glances with the waitress.
It's the little touches such as these that ultimately make "The Cooler" far succeed past simple entertainment. The movie sometimes drifts into an almost fairytale-like journey, taking on the attributes of a very bizarre epic. "The Cooler" is certainly a unique film, and it is almost always riding the edge of perfection, but it lacks just a few elements that separates it from truly becoming "must-see" material. Perhaps what makes it ultimately worth seeing is the surprise, Oscar-nominated performance by Alec Baldwin, in a role that seems written more for an actor such as Robert De Niro. Yet Baldwin manages to pull it off extremely well, perhaps proving that he really *is* a good actor when he tries. (Stay away from that nasty "Cat in the Hat.")
And then there's the rather satisfactory ending, which--without spoiling it!--connects all the dots, ties the movie together at long last, and refreshes us. Over the past two years, with the arrival of Focus Features and other quality-concerned film companies, it seems that certain areas of Hollywood are returning to the classic methods of great movie making. "The Cooler" is not a great movie, but it is the little engine that could. I think it takes a rather silly, albeit brilliant, concept and stretches it as far as possible. You'll be entertained, and you might even leave feeling a bit uplifted by a story that refreshes our minds and souls.
- John Ulmer
http://www.wiredonmovies.com
e-mail: [email protected]
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