Les copains d'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.

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???

We're all aware of the antihero,well I think this movie has the quintessential "fantastic loser".Excuse me for coining a phrase but this group may go unnoticed otherwise.Along with movies like Fat City,Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (or just about every Warren Oates role)these characters may be the most interesting to watch,and Robert Mitchums performance in this movie has to be the best.Like a character that is hated but still championed it must have been hard to pull off a loser without the audience feeling overwhelming sympathy.I cannot believe when reading about Robert Mitchum that this movie is not mentioned.For me it is unquestionably his finest and most honest.Supporting roles,writing and direction all get high marks as well.One of the finest in a decade of masterpieces.

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.

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!