The Friends of Eddie Coyle Blu-ray Review
Producer-screenwriter Paul Monash has adapted George Higgins’ crime novel pretty much intact. Though the story is told progressively, the script is actually more of a piecemeal matter with different aspects of the story being introduced to the viewer without any set-ups or exposition. By the two-thirds mark, the pieces have all fallen into place: we know who all the major players are, and we have been slyly and cleverly drawn into the milieu of the Boston underworld almost without realizing it. Though Yates has no set piece in this movie to rival that dazzling chase in Bullitt, he still has a few tricks up his sleeve. We see one of the bank jobs go off without a hitch as the director shows us the robbers' methodology in great detail. (A later bank job runs into difficulties though we don’t see all of its aftermath.) We’re also treated to a very exciting dragnet sequence in a parking lot which doesn’t last a tenth as long as the chase in Bullitt but has some of the same kinetic energy and snap. Having helmed the caper film The Hot Rock before directing this picture, Yates shows supreme confidence with capturing the effortless guile of the robbers as each does his job as part of a well-drilled team. The series of delicious surprises which come at the end of the film aren’t milked for their shock value. Like much of the movie, the tone is subdued and rather prosaic. There’s nothing showy at all about The Friends of Eddie Coyle.
Robert Mitchum was in something of a renaissance period of his career in the early-to-mid 1970s with this film, The Yakuza, and Farewell My Lovely all showing the sublime actor at his effortless best. He’s matched every step of the way with beautifully understated performances from Richard Jordan, Peter Boyle (as a most improbable hitman masquerading as a bartender), Alex Rocco (as the head of the robber squad), and Joe Santos. Steven Keats has the showiest role as the young but not so stupid arms dealer, and he makes a definitely strong impression amid this gang of heavyweight performers.
Stills Gallery: behind the scenes looks at the shooting which the viewer can step through with some stills representing cut scenes and with occasional text commentary by the director.
Enclosed Booklet: forty-three pages that contain the cast and crew lists, information on the transfer, some excellent color stills, a wonderful homage to the film by critic Kent Jones, and a memorable paean to Robert Mitchum by journalist Grover Lewis written on the set of the film and originally printed in Rolling Stone.
Timeline: can be pulled up from the menu or by pushing the red button on the remote. It shows you your progress on the disc, the title of the chapter you’re now in, and index markers for the commentary that goes along with the film, all of which can be switched on the fly. Additionally, two other buttons on the remote can place or remove bookmarks if you decide to stop viewing before reaching the end of the film or want to mark specific places for later reference.
After directing one of the best police thrillers of the 1960s with Bullitt, Peter Yates took a much different approach to the genre in his 1973 crime drama The Friends of Eddie Coyle. Less a thriller and more focused on character than in the earlier piece, The Friends of Eddie Coyle features a handful of really terrific character actors giving marvelously real performances. It’s one of those movies that improves with each viewing, another layer of depth to the story being revealing each time one revisits these gritty, melancholy Boston locations. Criterion released the movie on DVD back in 2009 and now offers a Blu-ray upgrade to that original release.
Studio: Criterion
Distributed By: N/A
Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: English PCM 1.0 (Mono)
Subtitles: English SDH
Rating: R
Run Time: 1 Hr. 42 Min.
Package Includes: Blu-ray
keep caseDisc Type: BD50 (dual layer)
Region: A
Release Date: 04/28/2015
MSRP: $39.95
The Production Rating: 3.5/5
Producer-screenwriter Paul Monash has adapted George Higgins’ crime novel pretty much intact. Though the story is told progressively, the script is actually more of a piecemeal matter with different aspects of the story being introduced to the viewer without any set-ups or exposition. By the two-thirds mark, the pieces have all fallen into place: we know who all the major players are, and we have been slyly and cleverly drawn into the milieu of the Boston underworld almost without realizing it. Though Yates has no set piece in this movie to rival that dazzling chase in Bullitt, he still has a few tricks up his sleeve. We see one of the bank jobs go off without a hitch as the director shows us the robbers' methodology in great detail. (A later bank job runs into difficulties though we don’t see all of its aftermath.) We’re also treated to a very exciting dragnet sequence in a parking lot which doesn’t last a tenth as long as the chase in Bullitt but has some of the same kinetic energy and snap. Having helmed the caper film The Hot Rock before directing this picture, Yates shows supreme confidence with capturing the effortless guile of the robbers as each does his job as part of a well-drilled team. The series of delicious surprises which come at the end of the film aren’t milked for their shock value. Like much of the movie, the tone is subdued and rather prosaic. There’s nothing showy at all about The Friends of Eddie Coyle.
Robert Mitchum was in something of a renaissance period of his career in the early-to-mid 1970s with this film, The Yakuza, and Farewell My Lovely all showing the sublime actor at his effortless best. He’s matched every step of the way with beautifully understated performances from Richard Jordan, Peter Boyle (as a most improbable hitman masquerading as a bartender), Alex Rocco (as the head of the robber squad), and Joe Santos. Steven Keats has the showiest role as the young but not so stupid arms dealer, and he makes a definitely strong impression amid this gang of heavyweight performers.
Video Rating: 4/5 3D Rating: NA
Audio Rating: 3.5/5
Special Features Rating: 2.5/5
Stills Gallery: behind the scenes looks at the shooting which the viewer can step through with some stills representing cut scenes and with occasional text commentary by the director.
Enclosed Booklet: forty-three pages that contain the cast and crew lists, information on the transfer, some excellent color stills, a wonderful homage to the film by critic Kent Jones, and a memorable paean to Robert Mitchum by journalist Grover Lewis written on the set of the film and originally printed in Rolling Stone.
Timeline: can be pulled up from the menu or by pushing the red button on the remote. It shows you your progress on the disc, the title of the chapter you’re now in, and index markers for the commentary that goes along with the film, all of which can be switched on the fly. Additionally, two other buttons on the remote can place or remove bookmarks if you decide to stop viewing before reaching the end of the film or want to mark specific places for later reference.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewed By: Matt Hough
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