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Mar 01, 2017
Realism from the streets of Boston
1 of 1 found this helpful Back in grade 7 my teacher asked us to pick a book to read. I lamely picked a Hardy Boys story and my teacher justifiable criticized my choice. Meanwhile the guy behind me who later became a good friend, was reading The Friends of Eddie Coyle. He let me have a look and I couldn't believe the dialogue. Fast forward many years and I now have this Blue Ray edition from the The Criterion Collection. I've been a huge fan of Robert Mitchum for years, and his performance in this film is legendary for all the right reasons. Mitchum was a tough working class actor and he is perfectly cast as Eddie Coyle. This is a 70's film all the way right down to the line at the Boston Gardens ("Number 4, Bobby Orr"), that deals with working class criminals, if that expression makes any sense. I remember seeing it on TV, but the Blue Ray with its commentary by Peter Yates is well worth watching. I grew up in the east side of Vancouver and I used to say you can't trust the cops and you can't trust the robbers. This film is a minor masterpiece.