DVD Reviews

The Cooler

What was first perceived at another romantic tale set in Las Vegas actually became a surprise sleeper hit of the year, capturing several award nominations and giving a new meaning to the phrase 'lady luck'. The Cooler stars William H. Macy, once again playing a down-on-his-luck loser, as Bernie, a man who is so unlucky in life it rubs off on other people. This contagious bad luck gets him a job at a casino as a cooler, thanks to casino manager Shelly (played by a very intense Alec Baldwin). His job consists of simply standing in the presence of a high roller and causing him to lose, or 'cool off'. Bernie's luck starts to change when he falls head over heels for one of the casino's waitresses (Maria Bello), but Shelly doesn't approve and does what it takes to get bad luck back on his side. The film's touching and intense love story is powered by excellent performances, and a jazzy soundtrack that captures the mood and the time period of the film. Getting much deserved attention from critics, award nominations, and film festivals, The Cooler is now released on DVD and plans to find a broader audience through home video.

The DVD contains a widescreen transfer of the film that pleases the eye. The film-noir look is captured quite nicely in the transfer, with deep colours, vivid blacks, and very good contrast in the image. The sound is available in a 5.1 Dolby Digital track and has some good range. While it is not necessarily a powerful track, it does have a good mix and makes fair use of the rear speakers with some casino ambiance. A second music-only track is available if you find yourself enjoying the jazzy music. Special features included on the disc are two commentaries that both feature the director, one with the co-writer and cinematographer and the other with the composer, in which the subjects talk throughout the film offering plenty of tidbits and information about the film and their work on it. You also get the always-entertaining Anatomy of a Scene from the Sundance Channel, a storyboard comparison for two scenes, and trailers. The features are not the kind that you will view over and over again, but they will keep your interest.

Who knew a love story about lady luck could be this good? The Cooler is definitely a good film with great, intense performances and great music that is worth checking out. A film festival favourite and critical hit, The Cooler does get a decent treatment on DVD with a good transfer and a selection of features that will keep your interest. It is definitely worth checking out, and anyone who enjoyed the film will be pleased with this DVD release. Have luck on your side, and check out The Cooler on DVD.