THE COOLER
US, 2003, 95 minutes, Colour.
William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, Maria Bello, Paul Sorvino, Ron Livingston, Shawn Hatosey, Estella Warren.
Directed by Wayne Kramer.
The Cooler is one of those small films that are described as 'sleepers'. The distributors don't have such great faith in their box-office potential - and then the public finds that they like the film and it then receives wider release. The Cooler eventually gained an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Alec Baldwin.
Actually, the one who deserves Oscar nominations is William H. Macy, whose versatile talents have enhanced a great number of films, most memorably, Fargo, as well as his turn as the radio commentator in Seabiscuit.
Here, he is cast as a cooler, someone employed by a casino to put off gamblers at the tables who might be on winning streaks. He is supposed to be a loser who can influence others to be losers. This part suits Macy's screen persona very well. He can do lugubrious very easily. The trouble is that in his life in Las Vegas, he is also a loser. When one of the employees, Maria Bello, comes on to him, he is transformed and his life and his work are in crisis. The Cooler offers a detailed look at the complex life of a simple man.
It also offers a detailed look at life behind the Las Vegas glitter, the world of Shelley (Alec Baldwin) who is completely absorbed in running his casino and who will take no opposition to what he wants, a violent and wilful man. Baldwin has proven in recent years that he can do excellent cameo roles and create striking characters (like his boss in Along Came Polly).
The glitzy world of gambling is a bizarre world that so many people allow themselves to get lost in.
1. Films about Las Vegas? Gambling? Organised crime? Brutality and exploitation in the casinos? The prospect of violence in the desert?
2. The film as serious, comical, fantasy and the American Dream, brutality? An odd combination of each of these perspectives?
3. The title, the reference to the person who goes from table to table influencing the gamblers with bad luck? Bernie and his role in the casino, his effectiveness, the change, the repercussions for the casino, even to losing a million dollars a day?
4. The character of Bernie, the perpetual loser, self-fulfilling prophecy? Seeing him in the casino, wandering from table to table, trying to have a drink of coffee, there not being any cream? Natalie and her asking him for help? His getting her better tables - despite customers being angry at him intervening? His relationship with Shelley, friendship, memories of the past, Shelley bashing his leg with the baseball bat? His dependency on Shelley? His deciding to get out within the week? The friendship with Natalie, going home with her, her declaration of love, the effect? His falling in love with her? Keeping her company, at his apartment? The contrast with her there and his loneliness, his old records, seeing the neighbours, hearing the neighbours and their lovemaking? His being transformed, her staying when he thought she had gone, wearing brighter clothes? Going to the casino, the change, people winning, cream in the jug? Shelley and his anger, the losing of the million dollars? The threats from Shelley? The encounter with his son and the pregnant daughter-in-law? Their losing the money, the threats to Michael, his saying he was good for the money? The truth about Natalie, her being bashed by Shelley, her wanting to give an explanation of how she had been set on to him? The decision to leave? Bernie and the discussions with Shelley, Shelley ridiculing him? His going to the casino, with Natalie's money, winning, losing, eventually winning? Driving in the desert, the police, the accident? Fantasy and reality? Fulfilling the American Dream, hope? A loser becoming a winner?
5. Natalie, her background, relationship with Shelley, her coming on to Bernie, the relationship, its effect on her, able to say she loved him? The transformation, telling Shelley? His thugs disfiguring her? Waiting to tell the truth to Bernie, his loving her all the same, going to the casino, the desert, a future?
6. Shelley, the casino being his complete world, boss, fifteen years? Larry and the younger generation trying to tell him to change? Buddy and his singing and the old-fashioned style? Giving him the drugs, killing him? His having bashed Bernie? The confrontation with Michael and the girl, his brutality? Wanting Larry to see the violence? His talking to Bernie, despising him? His watching the customers through the monitors, mingling on the floor? Bernie's challenge that tis was his complete world? His brutality to Natalie? The finale, being in the car - were the bosses dissatisfied with him, shooting him or not?
7. Larry, the new generation, smart and educated, ambitious? Wanting to change the singers, the style of the casino, giving financial reports? Shelley making him witness the ugly realities, brutal with him, his watching the disfigurements? And yet his being the new Shelley for the next generation? The various people working with him, his assistant?
8. Buddy, the old-fashioned songs, drug-dependent, dying - with The Lost Horizon on the screen and the ironies of the casino being called Shangri-La?
9. Michael, alienation from Bernie, the sudden encounter, talk about their mother? Bernie and his explanation to Natalie about his son and the family life? The girlfriend pregnant? The brutality, his father standing for him to pay off the debt, Shelley kicking the girl in the stomach - and the irony of her having a pillow and not being pregnant?
10. The casino customers, gamblers and their frenzy, supporting winners, anger at losing? The various bodyguards, thugs? The details of life behind the scenes in a casino?
