The Cooler (2003)

"Cooler" than You'd Expect

Shelly (Alec Baldwin) is a beast that once flourished in another era. He comes from a time when muscle got things done. There wasn't a committee to slow the process up. And sometimes, lessons could be better taught by a steel rod or a head butt rather than through meaningless dialogue. Yes, his is a disappearing breed of dinosaur. Yet, we can admire his tenacity and his street smarts. If Bugsy Siegel created the original Las Vegas, then Shelly was the one that would work so hard to preserve its original vision.

"Cooler" is an enjoyable character study about a man who is so engrained with his no-nonsense, anachronistic lifestyle that he'd rather go down swinging than embrace change. As Vegas continually becomes an increasingly glitzy showpiece and as hotels transform into tiny Epcot-like attractions, Shelly refuses to give up on the original vision. He inhabits a world that's decades old. In that world, women were called broads; martinis were the drink of choice, and cigar smoke was considered fragrant.

Shelly's vision is uncompromising. Most unsettling is his strange relationship with Bernie (William H. Macy). We're not sure if they are actually friends, but it is clear that they both need each other when we first see them together. Bernie, a sort of mild-mannered milksop, has always been unlucky, as if there was a rain cloud that continually hovered over his head. He feels fortunate, though, to have met Shelly. Shelly sees a unique opportunity by having Bernie on his staff. If you were to read Bernie's job description on a resume, you would find it quite fascinating. He is a 'cooler.' That's someone who brings bad luck to a table so that winners eventually become losers. Shelly has found a gold mine in Bernie and will not let him get away. While Shelly applies a kind of subtle pressure that feels noticeably claustrophobic, Bernie's struggle to free himself is poignant.

Lots of kudos should be given to Alec Baldwin, who portrays the single-minded casino owner with a resolute fervor. When Shelly catches a cheater at the craps table, he is all too willing to school that person in integrity. We view this sequence with chilly fascination as Shelly dispenses some brutal punishment. The audience likely feels a strange mixture of appall and respect. Baldwin's performance ably resurrects him from that moribund performance in "The Cat in the Hat." It is so smooth that it might even be enough to catch the Academy's eye.

Another plus is the look and feel of the picture. Although the film seems to take place in the present, there's an undeniable old world charm that evokes a period of the Brat Pack. In fact, you almost expect to see Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin somewhere in the background. The swinging music, the tough-guy invective, and the less-than-savory atmosphere certainly conjures up those images. Although we never quite know where his casino is located, one might guess that it might be nestled near downtown gambling halls like Binion's Horseshoe or The Four Queens where the 21st century is still knocking on their doors to enter.

The work done here is undoubtedly admirable. The casting choices of Baldwin and Macy put two good actors into roles that they can ably inhabit. The film looks surprisingly stylish and noirish yet feels unexpectedly powerful. It's a film that takes a gamble and wins.

Grade:        B+

S:        3 out of 3
L:        3 out of 3
V:        3 out of 3

==========
X-RAMR-ID: 36910
X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 1244840
X-RT-TitleID: 1127399
X-RT-AuthorID: 1370
X-RT-RatingText: B+