This film directed by Wayne Kramer has a more realistic approach to what goes on in casinos and other seedy gambling places, a far cry to the new Disneylike-Las Vegas of today.

Just to think that this poor loser Bernie can attract the gorgeous Natalie is enough for him to think: Gee, what's wrong with this picture?...Bernie hasn't scored with a babe in quite a while, so when he gets so lucky in bed, it's the moment to call it quits and take the next Greyhound out of town because things like that can only happen to schmucks, or in this case, to this 'cooler', as his boss calls him. One has to really have an open mind to even think this Natalie will fall in love with Bernie.

The idea of how people can be jinxed by these casino reptilians is a thing not to be believed. If it exists, I don't know, not being into gambling, but then, the world of gamblers are full of superstitions.

William H. Macy is an actor that is always interesting to watch. His Bernie is a flawed character, but inside he is a decent person who wants to get out of his present occupation. Maria Bello is excellent as the woman who will stand by her man.

The real surprise of the film is Alec Baldwin. This is, without a doubt, the best role in quite a while for him. His Shelly is a man without scruples who is ruthless with those that dare to cross him. He actually deserves better material where he can excel.

This film was a pleasant surprise because of the acting that Mr. Kramer has elicited from his cast.

Bernie Lootz (William H. Macy) works in the old fashion Shangri-La casino in Las Vegas. His unusual skill is to spread his bad luck around. He is in debt to the casino and forced to work for the boss Shelly Kaplow (Alec Baldwin) but only for 7 more days. He's in love with cocktail waitress Natalie Belisario (Maria Bello) but he is a hopeless loser. Larry Sokolov (Ron Livingston) wants to update the casino like the rest of Las Vegas but Shelly resists.

This is a Las Vegas fairy tale. Macy and Bello are standouts. They are sweet tender characters. Baldwin is the cool master beating back the upstart Livingston. The style is a whiff of the old time Vegas. It's decaying and dying in front of our eyes like the drug-addicted lounge singer Buddy Stafford. There is such a humanity in this faded world. These are all recognizable characters from other Vegas tales. They work so well.

In Las Vegas, the jinx Bernie Lootz (William H. Macy) works as a "cooler" in the Shangri-La Casino, giving bad luck to the clients. Shangri-La is administrated by the mobster of the old school Shelly Kaplow (Alec Balwin),who does not accept the idea of modernization of the casino, proposed by his senior partner. Bernie has a problem with one of his knees, caused by Shelley due to a gamble debt. When Bernie and the casino waitress Natalie Belisario (Maria Bello) fall in love for each other, the fortune of Bernie changes, and Shelley tries to end the romance of Lady Luck and his cooler, to have his unlucky employee back. "The Cooler" is a great film-noir, supported mainly by the magnificent performance of the cast, highlighting the trio formed by William H. Macy, Alec Balwin and Maria Bello. The soundtrack is spectacular. A couple of days ago, I saw a movie called "Intacto", which is a weird and intriguing tale about fate, luck and gambling, but I did not like the plot. "The Cooler" has the same concept of "Intacto" (a man being able of transmitting bad luck to other persons),but the story is better and better, having romance, drama and crime. I liked "The Cooler" a lot, and I highly recommend it. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): I am not sure this movie has been already released on DVD in Brazil