The Cooler (2003)

The Cooler

Full Price Feature

Every now and then, as one who sees a lot of movies and therefore takes notes in order to recall the less salient impressions while watching (details to point out, little things I liked), I see a movie where I just forget everything except what is playing out on screen. I am so interested, so utterly sucked in, that I forget to write down "cool sets" or the name of some actor I want to recall later. The Cooler is just one of those movies. A tiny ensemble drama, The Cooler is about William H. Macy, described as Kryptonite on a stick, a man who can somehow turn the luck of a winner sour as he trolls through the casino that employs him for just that purpose. Maria Bello is a waitress who touches him in one way, and Alec Baldwin is his tough guy old school casino boss who touches him in other ways. There are other people, of course, including Paul Sorvino and Ron Livingston, (and yes, it is Ellen Green!) but these three actors are really just sitting in your lap the whole film, telling you their story.

It should be no surprise to anyone that Macy's performance is subtle, intensely personal, and totally believable. He has never given us any reason to doubt him in such a role, such a man as has lived a life of incurring misfortune upon others (and himself). Maria Bello, Macy's fellow ER alumnus, looks like a waitress with a heart of gold but reveals so much more about her character as the film progresses, and never with a smidgen of pathos or melodrama. Alec Baldwin is the force of nature we have been waiting to see again for so long. He couldn't be more perfectly cast. His hulking frame, his glittering eyes, and his "Hey Louie what gives" demeanor, all are perfect.

This triad snakes through the story line like Macy's character does the tables in Baldwin's foundering casino, The Golden Shangri-La - you never really quite know what will happen next. Nothing is random or out of the blue, (well, almost nothing) but nothing is predictable or safe, either. Anything could happen, and it keeps you at the edge of your seat.

I have to go back to William H. Macy. Long time readers know he can do no wrong in my book. His chemistry with Bello is warm and easy, and their scenes together are real and intimate in a way most of us believe Hollywood has forgotten how to be (for another example, see Lost in Translation). My favorite scene is a petty bit of fun revenge on Macy's neighbor, for those who see it you will know what I mean. And I hope you do see it, because the acting is superb, the story is great, and the entire movie is beautifully crafted. Smooth, interesting transitions, great green and red color palette (my companion noted brilliantly), and perfect pacing. Kudos to director/co-writer Wayne Kramer (written with Frank Hannah) for creating such a well-written stage for his excellent casting to play out upon. Go see it, for pete's sake!

-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These reviews (c) 2003 Karina Montgomery. Please feel free to forward but credit the reviewer in the text. Thanks. You can check out previous reviews at: http://www.cinerina.com and http://ofcs.rottentomatoes.com - the Online Film Critics Society http://www.hsbr.net/reviews/karina/listing.hsbr - Hollywood Stock Exchange Brokerage Resource

==========
X-RAMR-ID: 36612
X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 1231651
X-RT-TitleID: 1127399
X-RT-SourceID: 755
X-RT-AuthorID: 3661
X-RT-RatingText: 5/5