The Cooler

Bernie Lootz is a man whose bad luck follows him so closely that a Las Vegas casino has turned it into a job. At the Shangri-La, he works as a "cooler," standing near tables where gamblers are winning and letting his misfortune rub off on them until their streaks collapse. His boss, Shelly Kaplow, values him for exactly this, and Bernie has spent years working off a debt to the casino. Then he meets Natalie Belisario, a cocktail waitress, and the relationship changes his fortunes in ways his employer never anticipated. Shelly, who prefers the old, mob-connected way of running things, has no intention of letting Bernie walk away, and sets out to pull the couple apart.

Wayne Kramer directed and wrote the screenplay with Frank Hannah. It was Kramer's first feature as director; his later films include Running Scared, Crossing Over and Pawn Shop Chronicles. William H. Macy plays Bernie, with Alec Baldwin as Shelly, Maria Bello as Natalie, and Shawn Hatosy, Ron Livingston and Paul Sorvino in supporting roles.

Made for about 4 million dollars, the film took roughly 10 million worldwide. On TMDB it holds a 6.7 rating from around 400 votes, indicating a modest but positive response from viewers.