The Friends of Eddie Coyle: Peter Yates’ drama is low-key, tight, efficient and a bit cold, even, but not less engaging because of it. The dialogues are particularly interesting here, the strongest aspect of the narrative; in that sense, the cast is essential, and they deliver. Robert Mitchum is quietly spectacular as the title character, and Peter Boyle is very effective as well. The film, shot by Victor J. Kemper, is visually very simple, and the locations washed out, but anything else would be a disservice to the story and characters.