The Friends of Eddie Coyle

A gritty 1970s crime movie that argues there's no honour among thieves, cops, or maybe just people in general, The Friends of Eddie Coyle is bleak but entertaining. It strikes an interesting balance between feeling grounded/real and fun/stylish. It's about a guy called Eddie Coyle. Despite the title, he doesn't really have any friends, and is continually trying to rat out his criminal associates in order to reduce his sentence. For those in the police force, however, nothing ever seems to be enough, causing Coyle to go further and further out of his depths.

There are some slower moments in the film which keep me from really loving it. But there are also so many great scenes, and I think it's exceptionally well-written and acted throughout. Pacing-wise, it's not perfect, and as far as the visuals are concerned, I don't think it's exceptional. However, the story and characters shine, and everyone's cast well. I did also find the ending a little strange, but it works.

It seems pretty underrated, as far as 1970s crime movies go. Certainly not the most obscure in the world or anything, but probably deserves to have a slightly higher profile than what it does.

If The Godfather (1972) resembles high opera, then this movie is a cheap beer. It's a really cynical look at street-level crime where trust in your fellow man is about as rare as an honest politician. No glamour here. Mitchum looks like he's coming off a two-week bender, with a chubby wife, a tenement house, and a passel of kids. He's going nowhere except to jail unless he squeals. In the jungle of blue-collar crime, he's a survivor, but just barely. What a long way from the iconic super-star.

Great script, with some memorable dialog, especially when Mitchum starts grousing in elegant vernacular. Too bad the gun dealer (Steven Keats, I believe) is overshadowed by Mitchum's icon. He's a fascinating study in criminal ethics. Those scenes with Mitchum are little gems of circling-dogs and wary self-interest.

For plain slimy characters, it's hard to beat Peter Boyle's moon-lighting bartender and Richard Jordan's angel-faced cop. Between the two of them, they could give law- enforcement a bad name. And that final scene is about as quietly shattering as any I've seen. There we learn just how important a working-class stiff is to our criminal justice system.

Then too, that brutal hockey game amounts to a vivid metaphor for the world these characters spring from. Probably the movie was too low-key and downbeat to attract much attention. But in my book, it's a genuine sleeper, the most honest look at the Darwinian world of urban crime that I've seen. As the movie likes to say, let's all have a nice day!

Adapted from the novel of the same name by George V. Higgins, director Peter Yates' The Friends of Eddie Coyle takes pride in its authentic depiction of 1970s Boston, where Irish mobsters trade weapons and organise truck hijackings over a diner table. It follows low-level criminal Eddie 'Fingers' Coyle, played by Robert Mitchum, as he faces a lengthy spell in prison for a crime organised by bartender associate Dillon (Peter Boyle). His only hope of avoiding jail time is a recommendation to the District Attorney's office, which may put him good favour with the judge. ATF agent David Foley (Richard Jordan) sees the opportunity to further his own career by promising Eddie he'll put in a good word as long as the career criminal feeds him solid intelligence.

Mitchum is perfect as a man who has grown tired of risking his livelihood for his bosses, having grown old with little to show for it other than some extra knuckles gained from having his hand slammed into a drawer by a rival. Coyle is well-connected and reliable, with a keen eye for a good business deal. Yet as his superiors have grown rich, he still lives in a shabby neighbourhood, saving up any pennies he can. He purchases guns from the wild yet competent young gun-runner Jackie Brown (Steven Keats), but sees an opportunity to prove himself useful to Foley, who actually has more informants within Coyle's underworld than the old man realises. Coyle understands that this is his last chance to escape the world he has become weary of, and spend his remaining years enjoying the sunshine. Yet his information never seems to be enough for Foley, and as the rate of successful arrests rapidly increases, it isn't long until his 'friends' become suspicious.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle could have only been made in the 1970s, when studios in Hollywood were more open to taking risks and allowed writers to tell the story they wanted to tell. This is about as unsentimental and understated as crime dramas get, shot by cinematographer Victor J. Kemper in a loose style more akin to documentary than thriller. The tone is almost nihilistic at times, mirroring the mindset of the majority of the film's shifty characters. It makes for riveting viewing, with Mitchum delivering one of his finest performances in what was already a muscular career. The supporting cast is excellent too, with both Boyle and Keats utterly convincing as bottom-level scumbags, all of whom seem to exist in a state of constant paranoia and aggression. It will leave you incredibly cold, but only the very best crime sagas expose this dangerous world for what it actually is.

The film is, in every aspect, of high quality. Quality acting from supporting actors as well as stars, a quality script and beautifully directed. It is probably Robert Mitchum's best performance, one in which he is well supported by Richard Jordan and Peter Boyle who give wonderfully low-key performances as the other two main protagonists. It is one of my top ten.

Anyone reading the Boston press in 2001 will be shocked to learn how real, how current this film really is. The connection between the FBI and organized crime is serious and is portrayed here with a sense of reality that cannot be matched. Peter Boyle is simply fantastic in his role as a Whitey Bulger character combining hit-man, bartender, informer, and a friend of Eddie Coyle. Why is this great film not on VHS or DVD???