The Cooler (2003)

The Cooler (2003)
Truly down on his luck, lonely single guy Bernie Lootz (William H. Macy) works at a Las Vegas casino, where he uses his innate ability to bring about misfortune in those around him to jinx gamblers into losing. His imposing boss, Shelly Kaplow (Alec Baldwin), is happy with the arrangement. But Bernie finds unexpected happiness when he begins dating attractive waitress Natalie Belisario (Maria Bello) -- and when his contentment starts to affect his job, Shelly seeks to end the relationship.
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Release Date: November 26th, 2003

DVD Release Date: April 27th, 2004

R |1 hr 41 min

Plot Summary

Truly down on his luck, lonely single guy Bernie Lootz (William H. Macy) works at a Las Vegas casino, where he uses his innate ability to bring about misfortune in those around him to jinx gamblers into losing. His imposing boss, Shelly Kaplow (Alec Baldwin), is happy with the arrangement. But Bernie finds unexpected happiness when he begins dating attractive waitress Natalie Belisario (Maria Bello) -- and when his contentment starts to affect his job, Shelly seeks to end the relationship.

Cast: William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, Maria Bello, Shawn Hatosy, Ron Livingston, Paul Sorvino, Estella Warren, Arthur J. Nascarella

Director: Wayne Kramer

Genres: Drama , Romance

Production Co: Visionbox Pictures, Dog Pond Films, ContentFilm, Gryphon Films, Furst Films, Pierce-Williams

Distributors: Lionsgate Films

Keywords: Offbeat , Love , Underdog , Endearing , 2000s , Deception , Love interest , Emotional

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Ratings & Reviews

100
David SterrittChristian Science Monitor
Look for realism, and you'll find The Cooler disappointing. Look for a far-fetched yarn that's as unpredictable as a throw of the dice, though, and you'll find it engaging fun. show more
90
The Hollywood Reporter
A refreshing throwback to another era of moviemaking: This movie was poured from the bottle, not one of those bar regulator machines. It's got the kick, style and flavor of a straight-up story, before movies were watered down with the opinions of marketers, lawyers and committee heads. show more
88
Steven ReaPhiladelphia Inquirer
The Cooler is small-scale moviemaking about small-scale lives. But it's big in all the right ways. show more