Friends of Eddie Coyle
Directed by Peter Yates, best known for directing the Steve McQueen classic Bullitt, this 1973 neo noir film was based on the best-selling novel by George V. Higgins. The Friends of Eddie Coyle chronicles the last days of a weary Boston-based weapons dealer. Eddie Coyle (Robert Mitchum) doesn't want to serve a life sentence in prison, so he becomes an informant for both the police and the treasury department. Coyle is likewise unwilling to give up his lifestyle, thus he continues his illegal gun-running operation for the underworld. The mob becomes aware that Eddie is squealing to the cops, so they send his best friend Dillon (Peter Boyle) to rub him out. Dillon compassionately takes Eddie out on the town, treating him to dinner and a hockey game...then drives to a deserted field to carry out his orders. The Friends of Eddie Coyle finds Mitchum playing the role with a jaded cynicism that gives the film a real boost of power and effectiveness. Peter Yates low-key direction gives the movie a realistic quality that makes the down and out nature of events seem all the more lingering after the credits roll.

quality rating: A