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The Friends of Eddie Coyle (The Criterion Collection)

Robert Mitchum (Actor), Peter Yates (Director) Rated:

Format: DVD

678 ratings

IMDb7.4/10.0

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May 19, 2009

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Genre	Mystery & Suspense
Format	Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC, Special Edition, Widescreen
Contributor	Robert Mitchum, Peter Yates
Language	English
Runtime	1 hour and 42 minutes

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In one of the best performances of his legendary career; Robert Mitchum plays small-time gunrunner Eddie "Fingers" Coyle in Peter Yates's adaptation of George V. Higgins's acclaimed novel The Friends of Eddie Coyle. World-weary and living hand to mouth; Coyle works on the sidelines of the seedy Boston underworld just to make ends meet. But when he finds himself facing a second stretch of hard time; he's forced to weigh loyalty to his criminal colleagues against snitching to stay free. Directed with a sharp eye for its gritty locales and an open heart for its less-than-heroic characters; this is one of the true treasures of 1970s Hollywood filmmakin--a suspenseful crime drama in stark; unforgiving daylight.

Product details

Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.85:1
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.72 Ounces
Director ‏ : ‎ Peter Yates
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC, Special Edition, Widescreen
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 42 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ May 19, 2009
Actors ‏ : ‎ Robert Mitchum
Language ‏ : ‎ Unqualified
Studio ‏ : ‎ Criterion Collection
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001TIQT6G
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

Best Sellers Rank: #36,979 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #1,892 in Mystery & Thrillers (Movies & TV)
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Matthew D'Souza

Gripping Slow Burn About Crime and Consequences

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 20, 2019

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A slow burn of crime and consequences!

Peter Yates’ crime drama The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) demonstrates how a great story about criminal gun runners and their police hunters are both entangled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Yates’ direction is focused and uneasy as you are drawn in by the paranoia and betrayal in the deadly world of underground firearms, ammunitions, and car sales. The quiet bank robberies, gun trade-offs, and near silent home invasions are just as riveting as the police sting, car chase, and subsequent arrests. Yates grips you with striking realism and a matter of fact attitude that makes The Friends of Eddie Coyle chilling in how mundane all these illegal activities feel.

Paul Grusin’s jazz score is quiet and lively underscoring the darkness of the events on screen. It fits the themes with equally disturbing music of uncertainty and paranoia in the off kilter jazz. Victor J. Kemper’s cinematography captures killers in the midst of a robbery with deft professionalism and cold dispassion that makes every shot look real. The viewer feels like they are just watching real men carry out crimes instead of characters in a movie due to the straight camera work and still shots. Kemper’s use of wide shots outside allows the audience to think anything can happen anywhere in the vast space of potential danger outdoors. Meanwhile, Kemper’s close-up shots of faces are pristine and revealing of characters’ conflicting emotions and indifferent attitudes to their heinous crimes all in pursuit of cash.

Paul Monash and George V. Higgins’ writing depicts a bleak world for criminals, who can never really get out of this illicit lifestyle. The desperate law keepers that are willing to make double-edged deals in order to catch the bigger criminals are just as shady and under-handed as the law breakers. The realistic world of law enforcement and lawlessness feels as seedy as can be because none of the characters really care about the atrocious acts they commit until the consequences hit them.

The portrayal of Eddie Coyle by the legendary Robert Mitchum is a nuanced approach of a desperate man on his last leg, who stoops to ratting on his associates in order to escape his old life. Mitchum represents the old criminal gun runner of clever tactics and careful apprehension, but Coyle is not as clever as he thinks he is as evidenced by Mitchum’s acting tough and handing off fate to men that have no idea that they have been made, while Coyle himself never sees his own fate coming either.

Peter Boyle is disquieting as the reassured criminal organizer Dillon, who is also a rat fink for the fuzz as he callously gives up his own mobster pals for a few bucks and security from arrest. Boyle has never been so chilling. He’s sleazy like his character in Taxi Driver, but so self satisfied that he can pretend to care in front of his crime cohorts, then feign being upset at their being informants. Boyle reminds the audience that The Friends of Eddie Coyle are not as friendly as they appear.

Richard Jordan is phenomenal as the Treasury investigator Dave Foley, who double crosses all the criminals he’s pretending to help. He’s feigned looks of concern and pale face of careful ease let the audience know he doesn’t care about these criminals or their fates. Likewise, the easy going and cautious Steven Keats is fantastic as the gun middleman Jackie Brown. Likely the inspiration for Quentin Tarantino’s film of the same name, Keats portrays his seller as a paranoid man ready to pull the trigger at his own gun finders, but not suspicious enough of Mitchum’s steadfast Eddie Coyle.

Lastly, Alex Rocco is scary as the fearless bank robber Steve Scalise. His casual manner and simple costumes during robberies makes Rocco a fearsome character indeed. He goes about his bloody quest for currency with a thought out approach of cautious escape routes and cruel familial threats.

In all, The Friends of Eddie Coyle is a beautiful and mature character study of several criminals and their downfall at the hands of the persistent law. It’s a poignant portrait of the inevitable negative conclusion to a life of crime as well as a stunning portrayal of the old adage that, “There is no honor among thieves.”

14 people found this helpful

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A customer

Interesting timing - the antithesis to "Black Mass" (Depp)

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 23, 2015

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Whether it was by coincidence that Criterion put this bluray out right before BLACK MASS (BLU-RAY + DVD + ULTRAVIOLET) hit theaters, or an intentional play to garner interest, this ended up being a great movie to watch to show how similar subject matter can be delivered in different ways. While both films look at street level crime in Boston, the mafia's role in the Teamsters, and crews like the "winter hill gang", Eddie Coyle has very little of the over the top violence that people are either loving or hating from Black Mass. Eddie Coyle is a fairly straightforward, dialogue driven film that attempts (and succeeds) by being very simple, realistic, and matter of fact.

As such, Robert Mitchum's typical style of understatement and borderline disinterest serve him well here. Some of the scenes are quietly intense (think Drive ), but when he does raise his voice, his words are short, carefully chosen, and clear in intent. Even though the film is named after his character, this is a true ensemble cast with Peter Boyle, Richard Jordan, and Steven Keats to name a few. All are great, and the longer the movie goes on, the film becomes less about Eddie and more about his "friends". I particularly liked Richard Jordan's character, who in several moments came across exactly like Willem Dafoe in another Boston buddy crime film, The Boondock Saints (it would not surprise me if the writer of Saints has seen this film; with Keat's character named "Jackie Brown" we know Tarantino has).

For a 1973 film it is a little dated at times, but never unforgivenly so. Sure, the music is a little cheesy here and there, but music does not play a strong role in the film. Many scenes are completely silent, and director Peter Yates said at the time that he was trying to make something as un-Hollywood and different as possible.

This is a spoilerless review, I'll leave the basic plot synopsis to others. There are really only two complaints: (1) "Who" really set "who" up at the very end is revealed but in no way explained, and it is hard to figure out exactly how it was accomplished. For a movie that focused on realism and sometimes seemed like a pseudo-documentary this was a glaring loose end (2) For an attempt to show how unglamorous low level crime really is, the director made a couple choices I did not care for. For one, he cast Alex Rocco (Moe Green from the Godfather) in a prominent role in an attempt to help with realism. Many believe Rocco was a real life former Boston criminal. If true, it seems inexcusable to so brazenly reward real evil. For example, in the commentary on the film the director discusses how he consulted, paid, and actively worked with several Teamsters with real ties to the mafia, and seems to relish in the fact that he could talk to them on how to whack a person and that they could speak from actual experience. Realism in one thing, but it seemed disjointed to not glamorize crime on the one hand but to still be monetarilly supporting it in an effort to be authentic. Given the power of labor at the time he might not have been able to totally avoid the Teamsters, but his attitude towards it all was too non-challant for me.

The bluray transfer is generally good, not great. The movie was filmed in (an appropriate) washed out style in the early fall so don't expect anything visually dazzling. The extras here for Criterion are pretty slim, but the booklet is still good, and some of the usual "still shot" throwaway features are actually from deleted, more violent scenes that help you understand what a conscious choice it was to focus on dialogue and not action. 4 1/2 stars.

20 people found this helpful

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James E. Ryan, Professor Emeritus, Norwich University, Former Captain USAF, B-52 Navigator/Radar Navigator

Watched it several times.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 28, 2022

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Excellent depiction of some Boston criminal elements. One of the best acting roles of their careers for both Robert Mitchum and Peter Boyle.

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J. Ott

Great hard-boiled, clear-eyed crime film. Wish it had more bonus features.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 22, 2014

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This review is of the Criterion DVD, issued in 2009.

This 1973 Boston crime film, adapted from a novel by George V. Higgins by prolific scriptwriter Paul Monash and Bullitt director Peter Yates is a damn good yarn.

Robert Mitchum, as a past-his-prime mob fixer, gives a gruff, almost artless performance that is much celebrated in some film circles. I personally think he -- and some of the other actors -- are carried by the highly-quotable dialogue and the no-frills, no-fat directing.

The movie is clearly a profound influence on Quentin Tarantino, David Mamet and probably many other filmmakers and novelists. (I know Mamet has sung its praises in his book BAMBI VS. GODZILLA.) While the Criterion disc does have commentary from Yates and a reprint of a Rolling Stone article about Mitchum, I'd have liked to see more in the bonus features about its lasting influence, the careers of Higgins, Yates and Monash and the Boston milieu they've encapsulated.

Also, I haven't seen other prints of the film, but this new "restored, director-approved digital transfer" shows its age, not always in a good way. I don't mind grain, but I do miss clarity. A look at Criterion's recent version of NASHVILLE shows what a print of this age can be restored to, even when shot on older telephoto lenses.

Here's hoping that the eventual Blu-ray re-issue will improve both the transfer and the bonus features to the ranks of Criterion's best editions.

4 people found this helpful

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Roger Shallot

Mitchum on Top Form In a Superior Seventies Crime Thriller

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 4, 2016

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It surprises me now that I didn't see this film until it was over forty years old - I'll have to make up for that with a few more viewings. I also saw 'The Yakuza' for the first time recently and it reminded me what a class act Robert Mitchum could be. Knowing relatively little about 'The Friends of Eddie Coyle' until I noticed that it had been released as a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, I thought it might be worth a look.

The first thing to say about this film is that it has an authentic feel - it's almost as if the viewer is an invisible observer looking in on the shady deals and conversations taking place in the early 1970s Boston underworld. That is down to the directorial talent of Peter Yates and to Mitchum and his excellent supporting cast - being based on George V. Higgins' first novel did no harm either. Peter Boyle, Robert Jordan, Steven Keats and Alex Rocco are all excellent here, and the minor supporting characters fit in seamlessly as well. It's Mitchum's film though - a perfect depiction of a man who has lived his life as a criminal, yet never made it 'big' and is now facing a second jail term. It's a tremendous performance, portraying a man who has been bad but is by no means wholly evil, lives in a dangerous world yet has a family and bills to pay just like anybody else. As the film progresses Eddie becomes increasingly desperate in his attempts to avoid another spell in prison and the 'game' becomes more perilous.

Great dialogue, not too much in the way of violence or "action", but brutal and gripping all the same. There aren't many laughs here but this is a lesson in fine film-making and one or two modern directors - and actors - might well benefit from seeing how good a "crime thriller" can be.

12 people found this helpful

Capin’ Ross

"With friends like you.........

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 30, 2016

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This is a film I've read about in film guides, and have wanted to see for a number of years, I wasn't disappointed. Directed by British director Peter Yates, director of "Bullitt" and "Robbery", and in my opinion the under rated "Krull", delivers one of the great American crime thrillers of the 1970s. Robert Mitchum in the lead, gives I think a great performance as the low life criminal. The supporting cast is all good to excellent, especially Peter Boyle, with many familiar faces of American 70s character actors. Screenwriter Paul Monash gives the cast gritty, realistic,earthy dialogue. Okay, a tad bit dated, but we are forty years down the line. The film, as with Yates's other thrillers, moves along with great pace, and there's a nice twist to the story, which you may guess, but is only confirmed in the final scenes. I even felt a certain sympathy towards Mitchum's character towards the finale. I guess, that means, at risk of repeating myself, how good Mitchum is. Together with " The Yakuza" ( that's a must see too of 70s American crime thrillers) and " Farewell my lovely " Mitchum made some of his finest work in the autumn of his career. All I can say is, with a jazz orentainted soundtrack, which is great too, the film is one of the best, but a bit overlooked crime noir thrillers of the 1970s. The dual format blu-Ray and DVD gives a nice, clear, decent image with uncompressed soundtrack. Entertaining, and will certainly demand repeated viewings.

17 people found this helpful

Lightfoot

Mitchum sleepwalks laconically but you still wouldn't mess with him!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 13, 2018

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Always enjoy seeing Robert Mitchum on screen (yes, even as a gentle Irish schoolteacher in Ryan's Daughter!) and wasn't disappointed in his performance here. Okay, it's not that great a movie but seeing as I live today with one foot firmly planted back in the 1970's I can always sit through the sound and 'feel' of that particular era. Slow-moving film but I quite liked the various characters within the story (such as it was) and it just had enough momentum to keep me interested although I doubt it would appeal to today's film-goer generation.

4 people found this helpful

One of the best films starring Robert Mitchum in his late period

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 2, 2016

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The Friends of Eddie Coyle shares some irony with the Spanish title and the English soundtrack is flawless. One of the best films starring Robert Mitchum in his late period, he is convincing as a washed-up gun dealer about to be sacrificed by his cold-blooded criminal associates. The cops aren't his friends, either, but deceivers manipulating him to turn informer without offering anything concrete in return. Like Blind Pugh with his black spot, Eddie knows his fate is sealed, no matter how he twists and turns. He's simply too far down the food-chain for anyone to give a damn, though when he's finally shot near the end of the film it's with an almighty bang.

3 people found this helpful

Mr. E. A. Dobson

Boston's seedy underworld

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 24, 2015

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A 70's cult classic. Everything about this film feels authentic of its time. This review is for the region 1 criterion dvd. It features a worthwhile commentary by the director Peter Yates, recorded a year before his death. I first saw the film when it was shown as part of the BBC Moviedrome series, this is the first time seeing it since but I really need to read the book on which it's based.

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