The Cooler 2003
I wanted to like this movie. I had heard good things about it when it came out; I like Bill Macy; and this looked like a perfect role for Alec Baldwin. But the script and maybe even some of the acting really comes up short. The basic plot of the movie is there is a guy (Macy) whose luck is so bad he is employed by a casino operator (Baldwin) to rub off bad luck on hot tables. However his luck changes when he falls in love with a cute waitress. So that’s kind of a cute plot, but really that’s nowhere near enough for a whole movie. This could have been 30 minutes long. Instead they stretch out the bad luck scenes, the love scenes (you will see way more of Bill Macy than you ever wanted), and the turmoil over the change in luck. The director has chosen to hammer the viewer over the head with symbolism for things the audience already realizes, even using a glowing neon sign reflected in a windshield that flashes EZ MARK before the rest of the neon comes to life and shows the character is at an EZ MARKET. Subtle huh?
Alec Baldwin plays an old school tough guy of a casino operator ably, but without much spark. It is fun to watch him rant about the Disneyfication of Las Vegas, but there just seems to be something lacking. Bill Macy is okay, but his range is kind of limited, and he falters when he is happy. There is a scene at the very end of Pleasantville where he has to be happy and it is one of the worst scenes I have ever seen. There is nothing that bad here, but he is getting dangerously close at times.
This isn’t a bad movie, and the concept of “cooler” is interesting, if completely unrealistic. But I felt a little shortchanged. C+
Written: 16 Jul 2007