Welcome to gritty 1970's Boston, home of our luckless antihero, Eddie Coyle. He's a perpetually broke, middle aged Quincy resident with three kids to feed. He smuggles and hijacks trucks to make ends meet. Poor Eddie, the perpetual criminal middle man, just can't catch a break. Faced with a prison sentence for hijacking, Eddie tries desperately to help a detective in exchange for his freedom. More banks get robbed. Things go awry. The end is fantastic, but in a very unspectacular way.
The whole beauty of "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" is its subtle set ups and betrayals. It moves slowly, allowing the audience to watch every detail before the pay off. The suspense is terrific. The guns get passed around, and you just know one of them is going to get fired. Sooner or later, somebody will get shot... but when?
The people, the scenery, everything in this film is ugly... but in a very appealing way. This film can make a Dedham strip mall look interesting. That says a lot.
Final Score = A-
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