The Cooler

Alec Baldwin's performance is captivating. He plays Shelly Kaplow, an old school Casino boss with whom we are permitted to build up some sympathy before we get to see his darkest side.

Part of his traditional approach is the in-house deployment of an infectious loser called Bernie Lootz (William H. Macey), a man whose cooling presence at the tables almost inevitably forestalls the luck of the patrons around him.

The story shows us Kaplow and Lootz at a moment of transition. The Casino boss is beset with Harvard-educated suits with modernisation in mind and Lootz has formed a seemingly unlikely bond with a waitress and failed showgirl called Natalie (Maria Bello). The beaming smile that love brings Lootz, also reverses his cooling powers and the Casino starts to bleed millions.

I found out about Wayne Kramer's debut movie when I learned what the censors wanted to do to it in This Film is Not Yet Rated. It's main selling point for me was the way it manages to be engrossingly gritty and dark and yet at the same time so good-humoured and sentimental.