The Cooler is undermined by its marketing campaign, which tries to pitch it as a wacky Las Vegas love story between the schlub Bernie and the been-around-the-block cocktail waitress Natalie. The movie wants to be a violent exposé of the corruption that still underpins the gambling industry, whether it is old money Fremont Street or the new money Strip. Tricky camera work and swoopy sound effects take us to Tarantinoland. The oddly-structured plot seems to have two Acts 2, and it's a long time before we arrive at a pair of cop-out endings. Whatever. It doesn't work as a date flick unless you enjoy your blood-averse companion spending a third of the movie trying to hide under your arm.

Maria Bello of the deep-deep brown eyes should have asked for costume approval of her waitress garb. Paul Sorvino executes a juicy extended cameo as a washed-up lounge act. Playing not too badly against type is Estella Warren. William H. Macy and Alec Baldwin get everything they can out of a too-slick script.

posted: 12:55:37 PM  

Something extraordinary happened this morning that's never happened to me before. I walked into the Friendship Heights Booeymonger, I went to the bagel counter/salad bar case, and the woman behind the case said, "Sesame bagel, toasted, with cream cheese?"

I was a little stunned. I said, "You got it." I had become a regular.

posted: 12:40:16 PM