The Cooler

Not sure why this got such a poor critical reception, on Criticker at least; I found it pretty enjoyable. Macy, Baldwin, Bello and Livingston are all great, the plot is sufficiently engaging, the atmosphere is near-perfect. Not tremendously original or in any way a classic, but absolutely worth a watch.

The portrayal of luck is quite engaging and there are some skillful directorial components on a thematic level that up the ante a bit. It feels a bit longer than it is, can be a touch melodramatic, and has a moment of surprisingly poor/distracting makeup. Yes that bit about 'ante' was a pun.

I'll always welcome a rare lead role from William H. Macy.

This film really impressed me. The acting of the 3 principals is tremendous. Toward the end of this movie I kept thinking how much I really came to feel for these characters, despite their obvious and immense flaws. This movie is highly successful. It's like an uplifting version of 'Leaving Las Vegas'

If you ever wondered what Maria Bello's hand would like full of William H. Macy's ballsack, here is your answer. The performances were all fine, etc. etc. but that is literally what comes to mind first. Maybe I have a problem.