Rating: R
Genre:
Romance
Theatrical Release: 11/26/2003(USA
Release Date: 04/27/2004
Dubbed: English
Sound: DD5.1/DDS
Run Time: 102 Minutes
Flags: Violence, Nudity, Strong Sexual Content, Profanity, Substance Abuse (Alcohol, Drugs)
Distributor/Studio: Lions Gate
Writer/director
Wayne Kramer offers a glimpse into the aging Las Vegas casino world with the
romantic drama The Cooler.
Bernie Lootz (
William H. Macy) is extremely unlucky at gambling, and he owes the Shangri-La casino over 100,000 dollars. He is so unlucky that he is hired as a "cooler," someone to gamble next to high rollers and give them some of his bad luck to stop them from winning. This arrangement works out for awhile, until
Bernie has almost paid off his debt and meets cocktail waitress
Natalie Belisario (
Maria Bello). The two start to fall in love and
Bernie's luck begins to change. However, the old-fashioned mob boss
Shelly Kaplow (
Alec Baldwin) isn't going to let
Bernie go so easily. Meanwhile,
Larry Sokolov (
Ron Livingston) arrives on the scene to help update the business management of the old mobster-run casino. Also starring
Joey Fatone and
Paul Sorvino as lounge singers.
The Cooler was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in the dramatic competition at the
2003 Sundance Film Festival.
~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide