End of Watch is the latest offering from David Ayer, the man behind such films as Training Day, Harsh Times and Street Kings. It follows the day-to-day routine of two South Central L.A. Cops (played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña) who sometimes abuse their power to get the job done. One day they stumble across something which puts them on the wrong side of the Mexican cartel.
The film’s potentially clichéd cops vs bad guys plot is elevated by very good performances by Gyllenhaal and Peña, whose central buddy relationship feels as authentic, if not more so, than the rough-and-ready aesthetic of the movie as a whole. Some of the film’s best scenes are just of the two of them sitting in their car talking and joking around; similar to Training Day and Harsh Times in that respect. Gyllenhaal is particularly impressive as he adds depth (much like Christian Bale in Harsh Times) to the sort of character we’ve seen before.
With echoes of The Shield throughout, although obviously without the time or the means to reach the same level of exploration of the morally dubious world portrayed, the film features some undoubtedly powerful moments including a heroic, scarily realistic sequence where the lead duo attempt to rescue some kids from a burning house, and when they stumble across a rather disturbing discovery that’s far out of their comfort zone.
The film employs an in-camera style for the majority of its runtime with Gyllenhaal’s character recording their often dangerous routine through hand-held and button cameras. It sounds more annoying than it actually is as in fact the movie sort of gets away it mainly because it’s used to add to the realism rather than as a gimmick. However, it does become somewhat of an issue when Gyllenhaal keeps referring back to it; the style is set-up well and I don’t think the film needed to periodically remind us of how we’re physically watching the action unfold.
Where the film falters is in the portrayal of gang culture which is the bread and butter of the job. Stereotypes and clunkily delivered, generic gangster talk are abound which ironically feels fake in a film that’s trying so hard to be as authentic as possible. We also have sub-lots involving the wife and girlfriend of Pena and Gyllenhaal respectively, which don’t hit the emotional notes that were intended. The female characters are poorly developed, despite solid performances from Anna Kendrick and Natalie Martinez, only really there to reinforce the heterosexual masculinity of the two men i.e. that they are supposed to get married, have kids and that’s that.
As cops and gangs movies go End of Watch is one of the better examples in recent times, packing a punch with its authentic aesthetic via the use of in-camera footage and two impressive performances at the forefront. It just about overcomes some of its more ridiculous moments and problematic side characters through, if nothing else, sheer conviction.
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End of Watch is released in UK cinemas on November 23rd.
i like the movie “end of watch” because it was totally hilarious. i love comedy and science fiction.-
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