He reveals to Natalie that he used to be a gambling addict and was in huge debt to several casinos Shelly 'saved' him by breaking his kneecap and paying off his debts in exchange for Bernie's work as a cooler for six years, which ends at the end of the week. Although they begin seeing each other, Bernie is apprehensive due to his mostly bad luck. They end up sleeping together, after which Natalie takes a genuine interest in Bernie.

Eager to prevent Bernie from leaving the casino, Shelly secretly prods Natalie into asking him out for a drink. Bernie informs Shelly that he is leaving town in a week.Īfter an encounter during which Bernie rescues Natalie from an aggressive customer, she appears to take an interest in him. The owners, however, hire an advisor named Larry to help bring in more money with techniques contrary to Shelly's outdated policies. The casino manager and partner, Shelly, prides himself on running a 'classically' Las Vegas casino, and resents the new establishments that attract a lower clientele. A cocktail waitress, Natalie, takes no real notice of Bernie, who is smitten with her. In Las Vegas, unlucky Bernie Lootz works at the Shangri-La casino as a 'cooler' - a man with near professionally bad luck, his presence at a casino designed to stop people from winning. Baldwin and Bello were nominated for Golden Globe Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards for their supporting performances, with Baldwin receiving his first Academy Award nomination. The Cooler had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 17, 2003, and was released in limited theaters in the United States by Lions Gate Films on November 26, 2003. It follows a casino 'cooler' whose mere presence at the gambling tables usually results in a streak of bad luck for the other players. Macy, Maria Bello, Shawn Hatosy, Ron Livingston, Estella Warren, Paul Sorvino, and Alec Baldwin.

The Cooler is a 2003 American crime drama film directed by Wayne Kramer, from a screenplay by Frank Hannah and Kramer.

The casino movie cast