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The Friends of Eddie Coyle is one of the most fantastic crime films of the 1970s, mostly for its mood and study of its title character. Directed by Peter Yates, the man who showed the world five years earlier how a modern cop/crime film was made with the classic Steve McQueen thriller Bullitt, The Friends of Eddie Coyle features one of the very best performances by screen tough-guy icon Robert Mitchum.
In this gritty, realistic tale about the criminal world of Boston, Mitchum plays Coyle, an aging working-class criminal with minimalist acting finesse and rough bravado. With his trademark droopy eyes, world-weary wisdom and at times nearly inaudible mumbles, Mitchum creates a character with natural realism. Facing charges and prison time for trafficking stolen goods in neighboring New Hampshire, Coyle attempts a tricky plot to possibly redeem himself and his family from his past criminal dealings.
Yates and screenwriter Paul Monash, adapting George V. Higgins’ novel, create a gripping world of criminal activities with elaborate bank robberies and seedy gun dealers, all set in the dark Boston streets. Yates’ supporting cast, which includes Peter Boyle, Alex Rocco, Richard Jordan and Steven Keats, complements this realism with unpretentious toughness. Dave Grusin’s jazzy score perfectly captures an unmistakably ’70s crime film sound that makes this one unforgettable hidden gem. The Friends of Eddie Coyle, which hasn’t been available on any video formats until recently, can finally be appreciated by many, like those of us who saw it in 1973.
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