 | Starring: Robert Mitchum, Peter Boyle, Rochard Jordan, Steven Keats, Alex Rocco Directed by: Peter Yates
Written by: George V. Higgins (novel) Paul Monash (writer)
Genre: Crime
Year: 1973
Country: USA
Language: English
Runtime: 102 min.
Media: Waiting for a DVD Release!
Imdb:
Rating: 8
|
Eddie's friends are numerous, but the term friends is suspect. As a small time hood Eddie is about to go back to jail. In order to escape this fate he deals information on stolen guns to the feds. Simultaneously he is supplying arms to his bank robbing/kidnapping hoodlum chums. But who else is dealing with the feds? Who gets the blame for snitching on the bank robbers?
Fantastic! A stunning and gritty crime caper with awesome performances and great suspense. Mitchum has made it into my best actors list since this and Thunder Road. The robbery scenes are directed so well and are kept serious and grim without the clutter of flashy camera angles and hip music. The film has a level of realism that is not normally achieved in movies made today. Yes the movie is slow and brooding, but that is in part what makes it great. Even though there wasn't the level of action I would have liked, I was still intrigue the whole way through. I especially liked Steven Keats' black market gun salesmen character. Like a firecracker. I saw a quote on youtube.com posted on the trailer for this film saying, "This is the film Tarantino wishes he could make." Well, there are many moments I could see Tarantino getting references from. The dialogue was crackly yet not overly witty and the focus on the seedy underworld characters was plush. And after a while, Mitchum really starts to pull at your heart strings. The movie keeps the audience in good hands the whole way through. My only qualm was the ending. I won't even touch on what happens, but I was a little disappointed. But with that said, if you love crime stories, gritty 70's films without all the sleazy exploitative junk, Robert Mitchum, and a great story...you will love "The Friends of Eddie Coyle."
