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A relatively low-budgeted film, The Cooler features the best in the business when it comes to small production actors. William H. Macy leads this crime comedy as Bernie Lootz, the unluckiest man in Las Vegas. Bernie is so unlucky that he actually cools down anyone around him, hence the title the cooler. Always being able to spot an opportunity when it presents itself, mobster and casino boss Shelley Kaplow, played by Alec Baldwin, devises a scheme to keep Bernie in his hotel and uses Bernie to cool down any gamblers who are on a hot streak. Of course, everything begins to go wrong when Bernie falls for a cocktail waitress named Nathalie, played by Maria Bello.

The Cooler was one of the big winners at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival and by big winners, we mean it was an independent film that found a distributor. First-time director Wayne Kramer also co-wrote the film with Frank Hanna; Kramer's previous credits of note include co-writing 2004's Mindhunters, which will star Val Kilmer and LL Cool J. Rounding off the cast are Paul Sorvino, Estella Warren and Joey Fatone, the N'Sync star whose last appearance in an independent film resulted in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Early buzz for the film has been good and it might turn out to be a hidden gem. (Walid Habboub/BOP)

Vital statistics for The Cooler Main Cast William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, Maria Bello Supporting Cast Joey Fatone, Paul Sorvino, Estella Warren, Ron Livingston Director Wayne Kramer Screenwriter Frank Hannah, Wayne Kramer Distributor Lions Gate Trailer Click Here for Trailer Official Site http://www.thecoolermovie.com/ Rating R Running Time 101 minutes Screen Count 11 Awards Awards page for The Cooler Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture

Comparison films for The Cooler
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Casino	11/24/95	9.95	13.79	1616	6157.00	8209.3	42.42	58.80	2.93
Rounders	9/11/98	8.46	10.87	2176	3888.00	4808.2	22.88	29.41	2.70
Fargo	4/5/96	2.54	3.46	716	3547.00	4654.4	24.57	33.52	5.89