In one of the best performances of his legendary career, Robert Mitchum plays small-time gunrunner Eddie "Fingers" Coyle in Peter Yates' adaptation of George V. Higgins' acclaimed novel The Friends of Eddie Coyle. World-weary and living hand to mouth, Coyle works on the sidelines of the seedy Boston underworld just to make ends meet. But when he finds himself facing a second stretch of hard time, he's forced to weigh loyalty to his criminal colleagues against snitching to stay free. Directed by Bullitt's Peter Yates with a sharp eye for its gritty locales and an open heart for its less-than-heroic characters, this is one of the true treasures of 1970s Hollywood filmmaking – a suspenseful crime drama in stark, unforgiving daylight.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle is exatly the sort of American film we've long dreamed Criterion would pick up for restoration and release and in May the dream comes true. The director-approved Special Edition will feature a nw, restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Peter Yates and the following extras:

• Audio commentary featuring Peter Yates;
• Stills gallery;
• A booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Kent Jones and a 1973 on-set profile of Robert Mitchum from Rolling Stone.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle will be released by Criterion on 19th May 2009 at the SRP of $29.95.