The king has indeed returned

RAY BUFFER

The Peter Jackson-directed epic concludes grandly with “The Lord of

the Rings: The Return of the King.” It is hard to grade a film such

as this on its own when it is clearly the third part of a complete

story.

Films like this one, “The Matrix” and “Kill Bill” have taken the

novelty of the word “trilogy,” the uncertainty of sequels and turned

them into expectations. Storytelling has changed as a result, and

what we find invading today’s cinema is a variation of the TV

miniseries.

Stories that might be condensed into a single film are now given

broad landscapes with no intent of standing alone and out of context

from its prequels and sequels -- a throwback to the old days of

Hollywood cliffhangers. “The Return of the King” sums up the story

with panache in a satisfying, though long-winded conclusion.

I could not help but notice the liberties Jackson took to include

an emotional subtext and connection to current events. If it were not

enough that the second installment was called “The Two Towers,” this

installment featured a bevy of antagonists with darker skin riding in

on exotic animals from the South to threaten the West. With that

exception, Jackson should be applauded for staying as true to J.R.R.

Tolkien’s vision as he did.

On the technical side, perhaps I have become jaded due to the

demystification of the special-effect process involved in the making

of these films, but I did notice more often a definite demarcation

between the special-effects shots featuring the principle actors and

the non-special-effects “shots from behind” using stand-ins who

actually were the size of the hobbits being portrayed.

On the story side, I found it very odd that Gandalf (Ian

McKellen), the mighty white wizard, used very little magic throughout

the film. During one scene in the film it is crucial that fires be

lighted to signal for reinforcements. This should be an easy spell

for Gandalf, but instead a hobbit must sneak in and light the fires

manually under Gandalf’s supervision.

Jackson took liberties with Tolkien’s story between Sam (Sean

Astin), Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Gollum (Andy Serkis), in order to

illustrate the wedge Gollum was placing between the two, and the

results were satisfying. In addition, Tolkien wrote his male hobbit

characters to be unafraid to express their love for one another

without sexual overtones, and Jackson convincingly represents

Tolkien’s intent.

With his portrayal of Aragorn in this trilogy, Viggo Mortensen has

secured his place with casting directors among top leading-man

candidates. John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando

Bloom and Miranda Otto show up to work and do a good job.

At this juncture, I have no idea how Jackson’s anticipated remake

of “King Kong” will turn out, but if he is fortunate to have a team

of cinematographers, animators, costumers and cast as good as the

ones he worked with on this tale, he cannot go wrong.

* RAY BUFFER, 34, is a professional singer, actor and voice-over

artist.

‘The Cooler’ heats

up the screen

If it weren’t for bad luck, some people would have no luck at all.

That pretty much sums up the life of Bernie Lootz (William H. Macy),

the central character in “The Cooler.”

Bernie’s luck is so bad that a casino hires him to stand next to

gamblers and turn winners into losers. His mere presence can cool any

gambler’s hot streak and helps keep the odds stacked in the casino’s

favor.

A problem arises for casino manager Shelly Kaplow (Alec Baldwin),

when Bernie falls in love with a cocktail waitress named Natalie

Belisario (Maria Bello). Bernie gets lucky with Natalie, and not just

in the nudge-nudge, wink-wink meaning of the word lucky. Falling in

love with Natalie changes Bernie’s luck from ice cold to red hot, and

Bernie’s boss can’t allow that to happen. Bernie’s bad luck is a

valuable asset that his casino can’t afford to lose. Shelly has to

find a way to kill this love affair as quickly as possible and turn

Bernie back into the pathetic loser who helps ensure that no one

walks out of his casino a rich winner.

This plot sounds like it could be the basis for a screwball

comedy, but “The Cooler” is anything but that type of movie. The

story is full of funny moments and great lines, but this movie is

also very dark. Baldwin’s character is an old school casino boss

whose inflated image allows him to justify behavior so vicious that

it makes his bodyguards wince.

The movie’s secondary plot, about Shelly’s struggle to keep his

casino from becoming another family-friendly Vegas resort, has him

interacting with some sinister business associates. These characters

see updating the casino’s image as a way to increase their bottom

line and are also not afraid of using violence to make their point.

You may not recognize Macy’s name, but you will probably remember

him as the car dealer from “Fargo,” the unhappily married cameraman

in “Boogie Nights,” and most recently as radio announcer Tick Tock

McGlaughlin in “Seabiscuit.” Macy is such a great actor and picks

such great roles that I’m starting to believe any movie with him in

the cast is going to be worth watching. As Bernie Lootz, Macy brings

an everyman quality to the role that is honest and sincere. There’s

also something about Macy that makes it easy to believe this guy’s

luck is really this bad.

Baldwin is sensational as the sharp-tempered, egotistical casino

manager. His character is slick and charismatic, yet completely

insecure and sadistic. Baldwin pushes this character to the limit and

creates a persona that should make any rational person afraid of the

consequences of being caught cheating in a casino.

Bello is charming as Macy’s love interest. She’s sexy in a role

that isn’t really glamorous. Despite about 20 years difference in

their ages, the chemistry she has with Macy makes us really care

about their relationship. Their synergy helps them both create

characters that are strong, believable, and likable. I’m still not

thrilled with Hollywood’s penchant for insisting that attractive

young women all fall in love with men old enough to be their father,

but we’re starting to see that gradually change with movies like

“Something’s Gotta Give.”

“The Cooler” isn’t a kids’ movie and is written for mature

audiences. That’s part of what makes this movie such a refreshing

change of pace. It has characters with real faults and foibles, and

approaches their problems in a way that respects both the characters

and the audience. It will be interesting to see what kind of award

nominations this movie garners for its cast.

“The Cooler” has been out for a few weeks, so you may have to move

quickly if you want to see it before it disappears. If you enjoy

great acting and great characters, this movie is a sure bet.

* JIM ERWIN, 40, is a technical writer and computer trainer.