The Cooler

Too many movies set in Las Vegas have gone along with the glitzy image that we always see, so it's good to see one take a grittier approach. William H. Macy plays a gambling jinx who falls in love right before he's supposed to leave the city, so there's the issue of how this might affect things. Some people might observe how the movie looks at this relationship, but I noticed how it looked at chance, especially with what happens at the end. Overall, I view it as one the many movies from a new generation of directors (sort of like what got released in the late '60s and early '70s). Definitely worth seeing, with a very effective script and all. Also starring Alec Baldwin, Maria Bello, Shawn Hatosy and Ron Livingston.