The Cooler (2003)

The Cooler (R) - Review

"Snake Eyes"

Permanently unlucky loser Bernie (William H. Macy) has been hired by a casino manager (a sinister Alec Baldwin) as a cooler, a supersitious job wherein someone enters a game and spoils everyone else's good luck.  Everything is working well until Bernie meets the love of his life in the casino bar and predictable results occur.  Equal parts dark/depressing and saccharine/cliched love conquers all, The Cooler wrings appropriatley cool performances from Macy and Baldwin.  But other movies have done it better and greater and with less heavy handed meanings and obvious plot turns.  Don't miss Macy, it's one of his few chances to shine his as dopey self and not have to share the spotlight with someone more enigmatic.   Baldwin's smokey threats are nothing new after his long stint on tv and b-roles but good none the less.  However in the end The Cooler craps out after just a few promising rolls and a few missed betting opportunities.

5.5 BoxCars out of 10 (MEDIOCRE)