A chilling story of the brutal goings-on in Boston's underworld. The life's-a-bitch expression on Robert Mitchum's sour face is perfectly suited to his role as Eddie. He's a small-time ageing hoodlum who becomes caught between the grinding wheels of the police and the gangsters. Eddie, facing a new term in prison, seeks a lighter sentence by turning informant for treasury agents. He finds himself treacherously manoeuvred into becoming a 'permanent goddamned fink' who eventually falls under the suspicion of the bad guys. Peter Boyle, as a double-dealing 'friend' who works as a bartender, offers a particularly fine performance. The film is based on a tough and cynical novel by George V Higgins, a novelist famed for his biting dialogue. Much of the talk is taken straight from the book.


©ipc tx. Film content from TVTimes