The Cooler

In this 2003 film directed by Wayne Kramer, the story revolves around Bernie Lootz, a man with notoriously bad luck who works at a Las Vegas casino as a “cooler,” someone who brings bad luck to gamblers on winning streaks. The plot thickens when Bernie falls in love with a cocktail waitress named Natalie, played by Maria Bello, which begins to change his luck and complicates his relationship with the casino boss, portrayed by Alec Baldwin. Baldwin’s performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The film explores themes of luck, love, and redemption in the glitzy yet gritty world of Las Vegas. For those interested, it can be viewed for free on Soap2day.