End of Watch

The script is so well written, it almost hurts. Almost because it is really just good! And I loved the fact, that it got recognized in America too (at the Box office, it did open at Number 1). While I won't go into the story, the casting of Jake and his partner couldn't have been better. It feels like the guys know each other their whole life. Their interactions with social media and "real" life feel ... well real. Nothing in this movie feels like it is staged for entertainment purposes nor does the dialogue sound fake.

I did write drama, but there is also quite a bit of action in this one. The hand-held approach to some of the scenes does not take anything away from them, it actually heightens the experience most of the time. Of course as an Anna Kendrick fan, I would've loved to see more of her in the movie, but it does belong to our two "heroes" and what they are going through. It's nice to see a movie that keeps in touch with current events, have the courage and the quality to bring that "cop" experience on screen

If you want to be at the edge of your seat the entire movie you should definitely watch this. I went to a screening a long time ago so the scenes may have changed a bit and maybe made a bit easier on the viewer but the version we saw was absolutely AMAZING movie. The story grips you all along and drags you without giving you a moment to look away from the screen. If you like intense movies like Crash, Stuck or Drive then this is for you.

Everyone applauded after the movie finished at the screening. The story is just so real and so intense that makes your hair stand straight.

The good thing is that from the first second you get into the movie until the very end. Its a story of love and intense action combined that is real not superficial. Its something that could be happening right now in your neighborhood.

It's not hard to tell that David Ayer grew up on the mean streets of South Central, Los Angeles. Training Day, The Fast and the Furious, Dark Blue and S.W.A.T. all showcase his passion for writing screenplays about these streets and the role that police officers play in them. His two films as director (Harsh Times and Street Kings) showed that he could also direct hard hitting dramas depicting the underbelly of the L.A. and the police force. End Of Watch marks Ayer's second film as both writer and director.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña star as a two young officers in the Los Angeles Police Department. Using the "home footage" format of filmmaking, End Of Watch shows us the ups and downs of these two young officers as they work, love and fight in the streets of Los Angeles.

In terms of subject matter this film doesn't cover anything really different. Its about cops dealing with their issues at home and on the job. This topic has been covered countless times but what makes End Of Watch different – and better – then many of its predecessors is that it holds realism as its number one priority. This is one of the most realistic portrayals of police life ever put to celluloid. The day to day lives of these two best friends are shown in a format that is both convincing and horrifying. It doesn't flinch away when showing the disturbing aspects of this high pressure career.

Using everyday video sources (chest mounted cameras, vehicle cameras, P.O.V angels, aerial shots from police choppers) definitely gives the film an unprecedented level of proximity to cops in the line of duty. Unfortunately, this format doesn't always work. Some chaotic scenes become a little bit confusing when the camera is constantly changing from first person shots to third person angles. But for the most-part it works well.

Gyllenhaal and Peña provide us with two highly believable characters and their chemistry is palpable. Whether they're talking about the women in their lives or having a friendly argument about racial stereotypes, these two actors ensure that we stick with their characters through every step of the way. Gyllenhaal continues to solidify himself as one of the best actors around and Peña delivers one of his best performances to date.

It's got a great script and a focused story that is handled confidently and told well. David Ayer has crafted an intense, hard hitting drama that benefits from the two excellent performances by the two leads.

This was a real unique journey in drama. A mix of studio camera and innovative character cameras interwoven with the story. Casting brought two very strong actors together and their chemistry was right on target. The plot was simple but the ingredient that put this film over the top was realism and believability. Yes it is very raw and if I got a dollar for every "F-bomb" I could by a home in Malibu for sure. Realism is the main course and this film would not lose it's true identity. I found what really put this movie in the must see category is that ...One minute your laughing and the next you're crying. There are very few films that can achieve this element with this level of quality. This is, without a doubt, one of the very best films of the year.

If I were to pitch you a movie about two police officers who are partners on patrol in South Central Los Angeles, one of your first inclinations might be "not another buddy copy comedy." While "End of Watch" is often funny, the newest film from "Training Day" writer David Ayer, is no comedy.

Ayer, who spent a lot of time in South Central, takes the found footage approach to his latest film featuring the LAPD in the spirit of modern trends and perhaps the show "Cops."

It's hard to tell if Ayer's exaggerating, but a lot of dangerous stuff happens to Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Zavala (Michael Pena) despite being beat cops. So much so that they get involved with the wrong Mexican gang, and their attempts to go above and beyond to protect and serve put them in the line of fire.

Gyllenhaal and Pena have incredible chemistry as two cops who are best friends as well as partners. They epitomize the modern "bromance" in a number of ways, joking around, giving each other a hard time, offering love/dating advice with hyper-masculine sarcasm, etc. Ayer takes time to show these men out of their blues frequently to humanize them in a critical way. On the job, they are often cocky, proud and reckless, pushing the line of appropriate police behavior and protocol. They jump back and forth between making laudable, responsible choices and borderline police brutality.

The portrait that this paints of law enforcement feels so much more authentic than we're normally treated to in cop films and police procedurals on television. They are heroes and good, honorable men, but that doesn't make them beacons of morality. No matter how much you believe in the quickly escalating plot of "End of Watch," there's no disagreement to be had over the authenticity of the characters and the environment they operate in.

Although we do get independent "episodes" in which Taylor and Zavala respond to calls and find more than they bargained for, there's a through-line involving a powerful Mexican drug cartel and the gang that enforces it. Ayer glamorizes these thugs a little bit, but it makes them formidable villains in the story. As things come to a boil, the realism of the film really unravels in favor of a more compelling, heart-pounding finale.

Ayer takes certain liberties with the found footage style as well. The premise involves Taylor filming everything for a school project or something. He has a hand-held camera but also cameras positioned in the squad car, and ones that clip onto their uniforms. The gangs also carry cameras around to film their violent escapades. At times, however, we can't tell who is supposed to be holding the camera — like when Taylor starts making out with his girlfriend, Janet (Anna Kendrick). Neither is holding the camera, so that's a bit strange.

Still, that filmmaking style does more good than harm to the film. Say what you will about the found footage trend, but this is an appropriate example that really works. The extra layer of realism and authenticity that the technique gives to a film really goes miles in favor of "End of Watch."

Humor is an unexpected benefit of this film as well. Michael Pena has failed to be funny in films including "Tower Heist" and "30 Minutes or Less," but he succeeds in territory that blends it with the dramatic in this very organic way. It would be impressive if most of the dialogue in this film, at least between him and Gyllenhaal, weren't improvised given how natural it flows.

It sounds like a stretch to consider this one of the better acted films of the year, but Gyllenhaal and Pena should've been considered for awards contention. The nature of found footage detracts from what we tend to associate with/look for in an Oscar-worthy performance. We expect authenticity from found footage and only comment when it goes poorly, not when it's done exceptionally well. Having seen enough films made in the found footage style, no other two actors have done better in this genre.

"End of Watch" offers an intense look at the life of L.A.'s finest and a harrowing portrait of life in the barrios and gang-ridden parts of L.A. Although exaggerated at crucial points, it shows what can happen when officers try and step out of their clearance level. At the least, it's one of the best films found footage has given us to date.

~Steven C

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