The Cooler

Day 85 - 3/26/09 - Movie #82

BEFORE: Well, the last 2 movies ended in Las Vegas, so while we're here, let's take a look around. Love Alec Baldwin (usually) and William H. Macy, so this could be good.

THE PLOT: In an old school Las Vegas casino, its top gambling jinx breaks his curse when he falls in love, much to his boss' consternation.

AFTER: It's an interesting exploration of "luck" as a concept - Macy plays a guy who's got plenty of luck, all of it bad. But he puts that to use, shutting down high-rollers in a casino. Macy tends to play two types of characters really well - know-it-all stuffed shirts (like in "State and Main") and sad sack losers (like in "Fargo"). I think, like Robin Williams, you can tell the type of role by the facial hair - if Macy's got no mustache, his character is a sad-sack loser.
The movie makes full use of Macy's droopiness, however once he falls in love and his luck changes, his job and life are in jeopardy. Essay question - do people have success because they are lucky, or do people make their own luck by living honorably and working hard? The film leaves this unanswered (substitute "karma" for "luck" and the plot works just as well...)
Essay question #2 - would the film have worked as well if Baldwin and Macy had switched roles? Not a chance.

RATING: 7 out of 10 broken kneecaps