The leftovers of Casino, served up with a side of morose independent movie spirit. Its so-called love story is half-hearted, an excuse for some uninteresting and brazen sex scenes. William Macy is an amazing actor who I'd watch doing anything, but doing a blonde and frowning at a poker table are a waste of his talents. The movie seals its fate by throwing a dozen false endings at you, none more creative or plausible than the last. I guess they thought they were being clever. They were wrong.… Expand

The whimsy is undercut by the violence and the sex and while it got the whole aura of a dusty casino and dusty people down what was interesting about it? The "love" story was NOT believable to me at the "I'm willing to lose my life for him" level.

Thank god for Scott's review. I thought I was gonna go crazy. What the hell is wrong with everyone? This has to be the WORST plot I've seen in the last decade. It doesn't make any sense. None of the action or re-actions makes any sense. The acting is pretty impressive, but how can you enjoy a movie with such weak plot? Awful story. Awful writing. Good acting, but nothing else.

This craft strains mightily to lift off but runs out of runway.

There were some logistical gaps and I was a little unclear of the motivations behind some of the characters' actions, but generally I agree with all of the positive comments about this film. The film could have done more with its premise. For example, there is a film entitled "Intacto" that does a great job of examining the concept of "luck", and I would highly recommend that film to anyone who enjoyed this film.… Expand

Definitely well acted and well done, but the idea of a cooler could have been more fun. Instead, it's somewhat dark and slow.

This is as cookie cutter as it gets. I was excited to see this film, especially after hearing all the hype about the performances. I can't think of much good to say about it, though. It is dull, predictable, and a waste of time for the most part. Wait till it hits starz or showtime.

This film will grab on to you and not let go tell the end. A very unique plot with the flavor of Fargo. Each character is extremely believable which helps absorb you in.

What is the definition of luck? Can luck be changed or manipulated by love, happiness, sadness or other feelings a man has? This could have been a fantasy film trying to explain luck. This could have been a lightweight romantic comedy. This could have been a serious casino drama. The quistion is: What did Mr. Kramer want 'The cooler' to become? You could say that lot of scenes don't really fit the movie. But which ones are they? That all depends on from what angle you look at it. Especially the ending makes it all even worse. The actors are great, with Baldwin on top. So if you're looking for a good reason to watch it, this is it. For the rest: It could have been something really good, cause there is enough potential, but we've seen more films that tried to combine genres and failed. So this in not the first one.… Expand

I can't believe that this movie got "generally favourable" reviews. This has got be one of the worst movies I've ever seen, save for the acting. Apparantly, Las Vegas has no law enforcement whatsoever, except for hitmen dressed like police who are available -- costume, siren, and all -- at extremely short notice, but take a ridiculously long time to pull the trigger. And why a character would threaten to kill you, beat up your girlfriend, and then beat up another guy for suggesting not to let someone walk away with lots of money is completely beyond me. And how come in this movie the older guys have no trouble kicking the younger people's asses? Something just doesn't make sense. The plot is SO slow, it seems like the movie has finished and nothing at all has happened. And there is no twist at the end; you could see it coming from the beginning which at the point seemed like days ago. This movie is so bad, and if you are reading this, I urge you: SEE SOMETHING ELSE! I hear Waterworld is good.… Expand

Thank you, William H. Macy,thank you, Alec Baldwin, thank you Maria Bello, and thank you, Wayne Kramer (especially you for creativity here). You have truly made played the lead in a film that looks like a real, live 'movie'. They say a good movie, a really good story is one that hooks you long after the end credits. This film has been a real pleasure. My Dad lives in Las Vegas. He asked me to see "The Cooler" because he said that Mr Baldwin had nailed the role of the wiseguy Casino Boss down cold. My Dad palled around with guys like Shelly. But my Dad did not tell me about the plot, which is mystical in a sense, about the transformation love can bring. Real, true grand-mall love. What a surprise for me! I do not rate ANY films a "10". But if a film moves you, you rate it a "10". Abbe B. … Expand

Predictable yet enjoyable. Great acting all around and a nice mix of plausible realism with improbable fantasy.

We need more original movies like this with few special effects to distract from human comedy and drama. This was a breath of fresh air and had some plot twists that I didn't see coming. Very nice!

This film's now on DVD, and there are so few "User" reviews, including when this was released in the theater? Amazing! I thought most of those on MetaCritic were a savvy bunch, and would have seen this movie, and felt moved enough either way to comment on it. In any event, I can see why Baldwin got the Supporting Actor nomination...he does a great job. But so does Bello, Macy, and Livingston. However, there were too many things about this film that made it maddeningly implausible. Sure, the ending is implausible, but if that were the only implausible part, I'd be fine. Instead, it was like the 30th implausible part. … Expand

Fresh, unexpected, funny tale of redemption and the hope for change most of us cling to.

If you?re looking for a movie with new or at least real insights about Vegas, gambling, casinos or just life itself?this movie will profoundly disappoint. The script seems based more on the writer?s fantasy of what these things might be like, based in turn on other mediocre movies and television productions. The problem is compounded by a number of implausible premises?not the least of which is the basic concept of a ?cooler.? There are also many implausible plot twists?especially a scene at the end. I won?t give that away though, which would spoil your chance to experience some real indignation?the strongest emotion this film will evoke. On the upside, there are so many cliches strung together that before long they lose their sting and you just accept that you will inhabit a dumbed-down world for the next two hours. Even given that resignation, there is a lot here that is so derivative its still painful. For example, there is a scene in which a young gambler mocks an older gambler while shooing craps that is lifted straight out of Hard Eight. (In the former movie, however, the scene played out in a natural way that was actually poignant, whereas here the audience is ultimately indulged as the old man loses it and physically brutalizes his obnoxious antagonist.) As if to compensate for the underlying fantasy, the film is shot so harshly that we can see every ?real? flaw in the actors' faces. They even manage to make Maria Bellow look awful. There is one scene in which the sex is portrayed as so awkward that the audience is apparently supposed to conclude this movie must somehow be ?real.? At least the acting isn?t truly bad, although Bellow works so hard to make her uneducated, working class character seem believable that at times you feel the character may be retarded. Of course, Macy is great at playing losers, but we?ve seen that so many times before that at times you may forget which movie this is. Baldwin is actually great, once you get past the fact that the character he is playing couldn?t exist in this century. This is another fact not lost on film makers?, who attempt to compensate by inserting multiple references to the character and his methods as ?old school.? In the end, the attempts to manipulate the audience into accepting a wildly implausible story are worse that the story itself. … Expand

I saw this movie weeks ago and it still is fresh in my head. Go see this one...

I saw the movie this weekend with my main squeeze and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. The three lead actors, especially, Maria Bello, were outstanding. The movie starts out as a romantic comedy in which you care for all of the characters. Bill Macy, the lovable loser. Alec Baldwin, a dinosaur of his time trying to protect his turf. And Maria Bello, the femme fatale, who unexpectedly finds real love. Then the movie takes a dark unexpected twist? It builds to a real climax which will have you holding on for dear life. Kudo's to all for making such an entertaining film. It's definitely a sleeper hit and worth the watch.… Expand

This movie was what I would consider a comedy/drama. I rather enjoyed it. Very strong performance by Alec Baldwin; should be a best supporting actor nomination for this one.

A very cool movie indeed. One of the best films about Vegas. And a wonderful, old fashioned love story -- but still very sexy! Great twist at the end!

An engaging film marred by holes in the script and a deus ex machina ending.

The cooler is definitely a well put together movie, yet it is nothing groundbreaking. Bello, baldwin, & Macy's performances make this movie a good watch. Baldwin's character was one of those bad guy's that you can't help but like. Bello & Macy put in solid efforts with a determined love story. The occasional mild scene twists make this movie worth watching.

I really wanted to like this movie. I'm a big fan of William H Macy and I also love Ron Livingston. Unfortunatly this was one of those movies where you saw every plot point coming from a mile away. By the end of the movie the sound of the saxophone made me want to vomit. On a positive note, I felt Macy, Baldwin and Bello all did a great job with a boring plot. Do yourself a favor, stay home and rewatch Casino. … Expand