The Squeeze (1977)

Good movie but grossly overrated

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

I'm a big Stephen Boyd fan and had to catch this film as it was his second to last film before his untimely death. I rate this film above average. The story moves at a decent pace, and the acting is fairly good, but truthfully, it's nothing to write home about. A really great cast is wasted here as far as I'm concerned. Guess I can't blame any of the actors involved, as the script is lacking in true greatness. However, it is an entertaining enough film. Regarding Stephen Boyd. He looked lean and fit, but he looked ill. It just wasn't the Stephen Boyd of old. Was he ill here? Who knows. I know he died a short time later. For my money, I'd rather remember the handsome, talented, and likable Boyd in his prime. So, instead of sitting through the squeeze, I'd rather see Stephen Boyd in The Best of Everything, Ben Hur, Island in the Sun, and the Oscar.

The Squeeze. I saw this film years ago.. But lucky enough.. I got on VHS and it's still in good nick.. What I like about this film.. That it was one of those best original British crime thrillers of the 70's.. Long before The Long Good Friday.. which I also enjoyed..This film sees Stacy Keach as an alcoholic, ex-cop and single father Jim Naboth trying to stay on the straight and narrow as a private eye.. Things start to go wrong when his ex-wife Jill (Carol White) gets kidnapped by a bunch of gangsters led by Keith (David Hemmings) and Vic Smith (Stephen Boyd).Mr Foreman (Edward Fox), the new man in Jill's life.. pleads for Naboth to find Jill.As Naboth investigates, he runs into Vic Smith as he tries to figure out what Naboth is up to.. As the film goes on, we see Naboth trying to battle his addiction to alcohol, but there's also his friend Teddy (Freddie Starr) who's there to help him get over it.The music score by David Hentschel was amazing! It's more a sleazy version of The Sweeney..Mind you, director Michael Apted kept the movie going.. Hey! It was the 70's.. I remembered it. Plus this film.. A satisfying 9 out of 10!

This is a cracker of a movie. There are good performances all round, and some stylish direction from former documentary film-maker Michael Apted. Watch out for some shaky camera work in some scenes. He later on gave us Gorillas in the Mist, among many others. The main surprise in this, is how great Freddie Starr performs in his only film role. And it was certainly an inspired piece of casting-whoever is responsible, I take my hat off to you. Though it looks low budget, there are quite a few top weight actors in it, even by 1970s standards such as Edward Fox, and the late David Hemmings. Sheila White, the poor cow of the '60s does a fine job as the kidnapped wife of Fox's character. It's not hard to see why Stacy Keach is so good as a man fighting substance abuse. He later on had his own troubles when he was caught entering the UK with drugs in 1984. Some years before, he portrayed a low grade boxer in Fat City with a young Jeff Bridges.This was made in the '70s, it's quite violent and rough around the edges. You have been warned. Enjoy it anyway.

Stacey Keach does a good job as a washed-up, ex-scotland, yard detective. He's an alcoholic bum who has few graces. The film is devoid of glamour, from the grimey wallpaper to the low-life characters - it's like it is. But the film appears to suffer from some really bad editing. The story line flies from deep to shallow, and ends abruptly with a ridiculous finale which made me feel disappointed that I stayed up so late to watch it! Still, I think it was worth the vigil. The performances, by Keach, Freddy Starr, Edward Fox and the villains made it watchable.