Boy do I miss these rough, sleazy and raw crime thrillers. "The Squeeze" is a hard one to figure out… I was somewhat disappointed but then again at the same time I wasn't entirely disappointed by this gut-busting 70s British crime caper. I hope I didn't confused anyone, but while it packed enough tough dialogues, brutal action and a lean edge, it didn't really have any sort of impact or rhythm to it all. It plays out like a glum waiting game, as it doesn't really explode until the final 10 minutes and even then it's quite anticlimactic. The thrills are there, but it doesn't completely ignite with it steering more so to a character-laced story to instrument it's calculative and hard-hitting framework. Most the time is spent on Keach's washed-up, drunk ex-detective character Jim Naboth battling the temptation and dependency of alcohol, while in between that trying to find his kidnapped ex-wife and her daughter who are being held hostage to pull off a million pound security firm robbery. His character isn't painted in a very glowing light, like the scenes where he's hitting the bottle (even though time isn't on his side) and especially the film's climax where he's holding a gun to a child's head. While pathetic in what seems like too big of an ask, there's still good will there in his reflective nature and his young son sees it (despite the hardship he endures because of it) and so does Freddie Starr's character Teddie --- a reformed criminal friend who wants Jim to join him in a co-venture of a private detective business. Freddie pretty much looks after him (almost like a protective mother figure/or nagging wife) when he gets on the drink, and tries his best to keep him clean to perform the job. Starr is great and has some amusingly snappy dialogues exchanges with Keach. However the driving force behind it would be that of Keach's outstanding lead performance, along with a cracker ensemble support cast of the likes of David Hemmings, Steven Boyd, Edward Fox, Carol White and Freddie Starr. These villains are your typical well-mannered, but suitably nasty underworld guys with David Hemming and Stephen Boyd making a great duo whose characters perfectly complement each other. Hemming playing it neurotically cold with underlining cruelness and Boyd oozes in confidence as the head honcho. White brings a strong showing to her character, especially throughout the whole abduction ordeal, like her humiliating strip dance.Director Michael Apted does nothing too flash, by keeping it efficiently workmanlike, tight and engraving a gritty authenticity to its dramas and London locations. It's quite well-made. If Don Siegel had directed a British gangland feature, "The Squeeze" could almost pass at that in style… although while not quite gangland he did make the Michael Caine starring "The Black Windmill". The stimulating screenplay by Leon Griffiths is tautly written and quite straight-up with its blunt illustrations, where the whole weary alcoholic sub-plot (morally abstruse in nature) could be seen as a smokescreen to get you invested into the character, while letting the kidnap situation feel like nothing more than a constant niggler with unpleasant lashings to spice it up. David Hentschel's stirring, electrifying music score never lets up with its electronic digs and intense, sickening guitar riffs… which had me thinking of Jimmy Page's scorching score for "Death Wish 2." I loved it! Not a great film, but a good one.

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!

What a great film I saw it twice at cinemas 1 time It was a support film for one of the Sweeney movies in the days you got 2 films for you money. It is a classic 70s cop film,hard drinking,hard working & tough guy cop,it was about the time of S.Keachs drug burst if you remember it,he is now appearing on channel 5 s prison escape drama. I don't think that Carol White was in many films after this. If you was in London in the seventies you would recognise the greyness and the fact there was no drinking after the pubs close at 14.30 until 17.30,this film should be regarded with the same respect that the Long Good Friday is now being regarded as a seminal 80s film. I have tried to buy it on DVD but it does not appear to be released.