As Michael predicted -
The Cooler
I highly, highly recommend "The Cooler". Featuring a dual storyline, the primary portion is William H. Macy's "Cooler" character, a man with such bad luck that it rubs off on anyone he gets near, making him a perfect casino employee. But he has a hollow, nothing life of disappointment and mistakes. In meeting a cocktail waitress played by Maria Bello, he finds hope for something better. The other part of the story is about the battle between the new family theme Vegas (represented by Ron Livingston of Office Space fame) and the old school gangster Las Vegas rep'd by casino owner Alec Baldwin.
It's very much like an early 70's movie, believably brutal violence, explicit, but tender and fun adult sex (rather than glossy skinemax/MTV style), jazz/Sinatraesque type score/soundtrack. This is Alec Baldwin at his best, he has riotous high quality tough guy dialogue to work with and multiple brutally violent scenes (a couple walked out of the theater during one of them). Very well made in all respects. Also very funny at times, with lots of casino type humor that us gamblers especially appreciate. The performances by Bill Macy and Maria Bello are outstanding. Their romance is pulled off beautifully, you really believe the characters are in love.
The casino featured in the film is called the Shangri-La and there are multiple references to Lost Horizon, the casino as Baldwin's own version of paradise, that has now become endangered by progress and has driven Baldwin to a de-humanizing obsession in order to protect it. One of my favorites of the year.
But a giant disappointment that Glenfiddich was nowhere to be seen.
When I went to a Tanqueray-sponsored Down With Love preview earlier in the year, it was all you can drink with mountains of appetizers. (and it takes alcohol to get through DWL)