The Friends of Eddie Coyle

A sharply constructed and well-written character piece masquerading as genre film. Shot with a natural eye for its gritty locations, where there is no honor among snitching, two-faced criminals. Mitchum is fantastic in his turn as the desperate gun dealer caught between a rock and a hard place. My only complaint is the score, which is inappropriately poppy in the way of 70s funk, dating the film just a bit.

Something something who needs enemies? Despite the poster image Robert Mitchum's character is dealing guns, not flashing people.

Well made, incredibly gripping and nicely cast. Mitchum is probably the best actor that still somehow flys under the radar to the general populace and Peter Boyle's performance was subtle and unnerving. I love the way these movies made around this timeframe look and the heist scenes are fun and creative. Also, was everyone in the 70's ugly? This movie made me look like Tom Cruise

"Life's hard, man! It's even harder when you're stupid." Solid. Mitchum showcases the desperate nature of a career hood who has very few choices left. He's clever but bound by an odd sense of duty to people who wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire. It's convoluted but the twisty nature of it allows the audience to focus on facial expressions and mannerisms. Trust is a hard thing to come by. Great soundtrack and a fine sense of disquiet punctuated with effective bursts of noise and violence.

A very nicely scripted and shot slice of gangster life featuring mobsters further down the food chain than we usually see on screen. This is gritty and tense in a controlled manner, and great, understated performances from the whole cast lend it an air of credibility. Mitchum's performance suggests that although his character knows the end is nigh, he's going to try to brave it out; maybe some luck will come his way? Crucially, the film doesn't get too nihilistic. Very good.

Yates delivers a slow, contemplating procedural with some killer performances. Chief among these is Mitchum who has rarely been better. The 70s grit around Boston is fantastic which just heightens this forgotten classic.

If you're anything like me, you love: Robert Mitchum; 1970s realism; crime films; and, not least, films which portray the more squalid and dreary corners of a city, particularly in the overcast months of late fall and early winter. The Friends of Eddie Coyle satisfyingly scratches every single one of those itches. Even the more idiosyncratic and aged touches (namely the era's absurd fetish for bad leather jackets and giant lapels, but also the bizarre funk score) feel charming.

Yates' bleak 70's crime drama allegedly served as an inspiration for Killing Them Softly, which is far more aggressively slylized than this strangely muted effort, but what registers as effectively 'low key' for some translates to boredom for others; and while T.F.O.E.C isn't 'boring' exactly, it's hardly exciting either. Mitchum's portrayal of a world weary Boston based arms dealer looking to escape a life of crime is fine, but the film lacks real tension and never gets out of second gear.

An aging small-time Boston criminal (Robert Mitchum) facing prison time agrees to cooperate with the ATF, a choice which will ultimately turn his "friends" against him. Scene by scene, it's superb: the acting, especially by Mitchum and Steven Keats (as a nervy gun dealer), is excellent, Paul Monash's script is intelligent and crisp, and Peter Yates' direction establishes a bleak mood without feeling gratuitously nihilistic. As a whole, though, it lacks a certain unifying element. Great score.

Eddie really should get new friends, these ones are nothing more than trouble. As a philosophical crime film it sometimes broods too much, but it certainly has it's share of excellent crime scenes, particularly the first heist. The brooding is pretty good on its own as well, and Mitchum trading on a history of noir roles really fits the part.

By itself, it is a nice 70s crime movie, well acted, with a nice scenario. But if you compare it to the source book; they diluted the story too much and lost all the charm of how those random seeming dialogues shape the events to come. Although I must admit that the source material as it is would be very hard to faithfully adapt. I loved the masks during the heist scenes and the dynamic between Dillon and Coyle was close to that of the book (not as fake-friendly and free-flowing though).

Tight film with no bullshit. I wouldn't say it left a major impression on me, but it's certainly a good watch.

Top notch crime drama about a small time crook trying to deal his way out of a prison sentence. Mitchum is perfect, both sympathetic and pathetic. The heist scenes are pretty good and the details of the ending were satisfying. Great stuff.

A good glimpse at the lives of blue collar hoodlums, the guys who get dirty and do the work, the guys who don't have the luxury of honor among thieves. Mitchum was great, and it was a pretty compelling story. Recommended for anyone with a taste for crime movies.

It's hard to describe just how low-key this film is. Any plot description makes it sound like a thriller, but it's really a fairly dialogue heavy film about working class criminals heading for tragedy. Even the two bank robberies that occur feel more like a documentary about bank robbers that a thriller.

Seamlessly plotted depiction of how crime is just a blue-collar job with higher stakes.

fantastic and close to one of a kind. Mitchum is perfect, but the movie is only so good because of the color provided by everyone in supporting roles, particularly Steven Keats. in a way it's a slice-of-life crime movie; different pieces of the trade showcased and detailed without glamour; its interpretation as a reaction to The Godfather isn't inaccurate. either way, it's a blast, and a kind of movie which doesn't really get made anymore.

I expected more of a mindless gangster flick but instead got a thinking piece about a small timer running out of options. Some added tension would have been appreciated. The theme of him being a tired loser was a nice change. Good Boston setting. Fav scene: spending time with his wife.

Real friends, how many of us? How many of us, how many jealous? Real friends. It's not many of us, we smile at each other, but how many honest? Trust issues. Switched up the number, I can't be bothered. I cannot blame you for havin' an angle. I ain't got no issues. I'm just doin' my thing. Hope you're doin' your thing too.

This film is a lot like it's main character Eddie - mature, slow-moving, a bit melancholic and anti-climatic. The sort of film that only could me made in 70's. Not terribly exciting, or especially good, in my opinion, but something about it sticks to the memory. Solid crime drama.

A bit too unfocused and wandering. It looks like they were trying to do a Five Easy Pieces about some old gangster, but nothing really coalesced for me. Also, I thought Mitchum was too low-key and relaxed for the role; it could've used somebody a bit more keyed up and tense.

Above average crime thriller. It's very "70s" and Mitchum gets to chew up some scenery, both of which I enjoyed.

Spoiler alert: I get that he is supposed to be somewhat of a dullard, but what person who is not clinically a retard will take up an incredibly suspect offer of a "nice dinner and a hockey game" the very next day after his friends got busted and everyone obviously suspects him of snitching because of his bitching about his upcoming bid. But maybe I'm just used to gangsters, small-time or not, being portrayed as smarter. Anyway, I did enjoy it quite a bit. A different, very bleak crime film.

Another great movie from Peter Yates, highly naturalistic for a crime thriller, as was the trend at the time, but also Neo-noirish in tone. All characters are well-wrought, but it is star Robert Mitchum who is more darling than ever and the final act is unnerving.

Mitchum in another perfectly cast role alongside the likes of Peter Boyle [always great to see him in such a meaningful part] and a supporting cast that never disappointed. The script shapes these seedy environments & characters in an enigmatic way, unexpected, but more than welcome in its clever construction. Yates really brings something to life here.

Robert Mitchum is great in the lead role of this film. Mitchum's performance really holds this movie together. The script is well made with only a couple of slow moments. Overall I would recommend this film.

This is an odd one, because I liked most of this film's constituent parts -- the Boston settings (especially an old look at the Gahden), the gritty 70s neo-noir feel, Mitchum playing a washed-up small-time hood, and a decent supporting cast (I even liked the soundtrack) -- but I didn't care all that much about the movie. Maybe the bleakness of it all? It is one I might try again to see what didn't click for me this time.

Like a Melville movie set in Boston. Warm but with a chill, it's an autumnal movie - literally in its setting, coming towards the end of Robert Mitchum's life and career, evoking a sense of the autumn of the United States, and being one of the last of the kind of subtle, intelligent movie that Hollywood rarely makes any more.

An old Robert Mitchum movie

Mildly entertaining crime drama that never really got going or fully engaged my interest.

The score is terrible

Jeez what a bummer.

One of the best movies with a consistently bleak tone. Mitchum's performance is nothing short of perfect and the way his character influences the rest of the story is done very well. I especially loved that parking lot scene.

Acho que deveria assistir mais Yates, ele tem um senso de cinema policial soberbo. DVD Versátil Cinema Policial.

Very good.

saf bir suç filmi. karakterler standart, ama iyi işleniyorlar. mitchum en iyi performanslarından birini veriyor. soygun sahneleri ne kadar iyi olsa da hikaye içerisindeki bağlantısı sönük kalıyor. isimdeki arkadaş üzerinden ister istemez alaycı taraf görülüyor filme dair yorumlarda ama başka türlü arkadaş var mı zaten?

Michum between law and crime.

A tight, sad little gangster flick, more of an ensemble piece than a Mitchum vehicle. The only thing that sticks out as not fitting is the musical score, otherwise it fits right in with other great low-key character dramas of the 70's.

The best Boston movie ever made.

Gritty 70's crime film. Excellent storytelling and acting without the over the top action.

I love Robert Mitchum.

Understated, naturalistic character study of a small time criminal in 70's Boston. Bleak in tone, with nice cinematography and a cool score.

Eddie Coyle features a good performance from Robert Mitchum and a nice helping of 70's crime movie grit complete with a cool Dave Grusin score. A definite winner.

Time flew by as I watched this!

"It's a slug's-eye view of autumnal Greater Boston, remote when not sleazy; even when Mitchum and Boyle attend a Bruins hockey game, it's in the nosebleed seats." - Bill Weber

An excellent crime drama that does a wonderful job of keeping your interest despite the fact that there's no one to root for.

A realistic, understated study of cops & criminals in 70's Boston, where the hottest commodities are guns and information. Mitchum's performance is good... actually everything about is good, but nothing really stood out. I'm glad I saw it and nothing at all annoyed me about it, but it didn't do anything special for me, either.

Wonderfully bleak.