Assignment - Movie Review Example

The Cooler (2003), a famous drama film directed by Wayne Kramer, has several features about it, but nothing is as impressive as the quality of the acting and, to some extent, the script and the direction. Written by Kramer and Frank Hannah, the movie presents Bernie Lootz as the cooler who is peculiarly unlucky himself and brings unluckiness to others. The challenging role of this unlucky individual is played by William H. Macy and he received great critical acclaim for the successful handling of the role. Similarly, Alec Baldwin’s performance as Shelly Kaplow gained considerable praise and this role acquired him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Along with the successful casting, the script, and the direction are the other main features of The Cooler, the first feature directed by Wayne Kramer. Whereas the setting of the movie is generally weary and familiar, the movie cannot be considered an ordinary thing, thanks mainly to the quality of the acting and the skillful direction and scriptwriting. “The script and the direction are skillful, if occasionally gimmicky… Luckily this picture is rescued from cliché by the quality of the acting, and Mr. Kramer wisely gives the actors room to work.” (Scott) Therefore, it is important to recognize that the quality of the acting and the skillful direction and scriptwriting are the basic factors that contribute to the wide acceptance of the movie The Cooler, although there is a view that the movie is unattractive and having nothing motivating or revelatory about it.

In a careful observation and review of the film, it becomes lucid to the viewer that The Cooler incorporates several ingredients of a typical drama film, and the director is satisfied to recycle familiar elements of movie-making, especially with regard to setting and storylines. It is important to observe that the setting as well as the premise of the movie is strangely customary, as the director rarely tries to discover anything new in these elements. The dreary efficiency unit of the ramshackle Las Vegas motel is presented in the habitual setting and the director depends on the familiar elements of the setting. Significantly, it is important to observe that the film imitates the Vegas insider’s viewpoint of Casino and the setting is unusually familiar to the viewers. However, the quality of the movie is greatly improved by the merit of acting, skillful direction, and powerful screenplay. The role of Bernie Lootz, an unlucky individual who has made his career out of his infectious bad luck, is safe in the hands of William H. Macy. “Mr. Macy, as he did in “Panic,” another modest, proficient, not entirely original exercise in lowlife humanism, makes his character both sympathetic and believable. Bernie may be hapless and defeated, but he holds on to enough dignity to keep from being a complete sap, and his instinctive decency is never inflated into sainthood.” (Scott) Significantly, an unbiased observer of the total quality of the film clearly realizes the quality of acting which has greatly made the film a great success. Apart from William H. Macy, Baldwin’s performance is also greatly praised and the film received generally positive reviews for the quality of acting. In short, it is easily acknowledged that the quality of the acting and the skillful direction and scriptwriting contribute immensely to the general approval of The Cooler.