Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Cooler’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Love truly is a wonderful thing. When it finds us, it changes many aspects of our lives. The days are indeed brighter, there is a pep in our step and the hours seem to drag on since all we can think about is getting home to see the one that makes our hearts soar.  

Often times we associate good luck with love as well. We feel as though the arrival of that special person in our life changes everything. But that notion does bring about a few questions, do they really change our fortunes by stepping into our lives or is it our positive outlook on life that changes everything? These are important questions that are explored by way of a surprising love story set in Las Vegas, The Cooler. 

Bernie Lootz is simply getting by. He works off the books at the Golden Shangri-La Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas as a cooler to pay off his gambling debts and because Bernie is the unluckiest man in the world. He simply can't win, and his mere presence turns winners into losers in an instant, which makes Bernie a phenomenal asset for the man who runs the casino, Shelly Kaplow. But, despite the fact he is nearly free from his debts it seems as though Bernie’s life is going to continue to be filled with bad luck and loneliness, that is until the girl that has caught his eye in the casino has finally taken notice of Bernie and that alone is about to turn his world upside down.  

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So, what exactly makes this film a surprising love story? The answer is simple, the fact that it is a legit love story about two people finding one another in a city where often times love stories end up being a tragedy. Las Vegas is usually a dark and brooding place where bad things happen to everyone when it comes to film, and while Vegas upholds its traditions as a city where anything goes in this story, you truly find yourself rooting for this couple to make it in a world that seems to keep them down. This is accomplished by the stellar cast the film features with William H. Macy and Maria Bello playing Bernie and his love interest Natalie. Macy's Lootz is a loveable loser, one you feel for because he truly appears to be a man unable to get his life together, and that is compounded by the fact he is kept under control by Alec Baldwin's character, Shelly. Baldwin is at his best here, in fact this role landed him an Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actor by playing a tormented character who lives exclusively in the past.  

In fact, this is a film that spends a lot of time focusing on the past and how it holds us back in many ways and that aspect of the story gives life to the questions posed earlier, is love what improves our life or do we do it ourselves? The film answers that question in hybrid fashion. It poses the theory that those who capture our heart inspire us, and that in turn allows the course of our lives to change by way of positive thinking and a positive outlook. Which leads the normally reserved Bernie to be confident and successful in his daily life, implying that perhaps his sour outlook on life managed to project itself onto others, which gives Bernie a sense of power and purpose he’s never known in life.

Either way, this is quite a lovely little film. I have always had a soft spot for Vegas movies and this is one of my favorites simply because of its fresh look at the city and the lives of the people within it and it’s an honest and gritty love story where our couple is faced with tough problems they have to figure out together, something that is usually avoided in romance flicks. If you haven't had the chance to check this one out, do so, it really is a gem, one that harkens back to a golden era of film where a slice of everyday life was paramount to storytelling.

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