There’s something about William H. Macy: he plays losers better than anyone else. Hopefully that’s a compliment to his fine acting ability.
In The Cooler he plays a gambler who loses so much he is hired to stand next to winners in a casino, causing them to dry up. His plan to leave this lifestyle is complicated by the appearance of a love interest and the usual Hollywood conceits.
Although well acted, there’s nothing particularly new about this film. It’s certainly not dull but it is predictable, even the slowest among us should be able to see the twists coming as soon as they are set up.
So, enjoyable but entirely forgettable.