End of Watch

As in the past many times, I will be a rebel in this case as well and I will give End of Watch an unflattering report card. The fashion of films shot with a shaky handheld camera in a pseudo-documentary style has never appealed to me and in many cases, it just feels plain wrong. I could count on the fingers of one hand when a similar style used in a film had a legitimate reason. While the camera on a policeman could still be clumsily justified, on the criminal's side it looks like a failed joke and it's simply absurd. The macho behavior of the policemen is not sympathetic to me, the glorification of their work is obvious, and the pathos is at times unbearable. Although the film mentions that many policemen never fire a shot outside of training, both protagonists are busier than a frontline soldier during an offensive. The result is remarkably reminiscent of a failed reality show on an American commercial station. Overall impression: 25%. (01/26/2016)

A sincere movie about police work. Ayer doesn’t make movies otherwise than excellently. A series of various raids, crowned by the final massacre, boyish squabbling and family. Don’t expect anything more from this story. On the other hand Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña make a perfect team. Form here has undergone extensive change. POV shots bring everything closer to reality (even though as such they aren’t very realistic) and wonderfully spice up these fajitas. The cool soundtrack helps too. Full marks from me. I am a consequence. I am the unpaid bill. (11/13/2012)

Without a solid plot skeleton, but with skillful direction and tight dramaturgical grip, David Ayer serves up a few snippets from the lives of ordinary cops who don't take drugs or bribes, but enforce the law to the best of their knowledge and conscience. It’s a good change that Ayer could have managed without the POV, but thanks to well-written and even better-acted characters (Gyllenhaal and Peña are one of the most coordinated cop duos ever), it works in every moment; including the fact that the last scene is absolutely the most emotional. 4 ½. (01/16/2013)

David Ayer, an expert in the genre of gritty police dramas, upgrades his style with first-person shots and delivers a sequence of snapshots from the life of two L.A. cops. From conversations in the patrol car and firefighting heroics, through the joys of life (a wedding, the birth of a child), to finding parts of massacred bodies in stuffy houses and stepping on the tail of a Mexican snake, which cannot remain without consequences. The film is based not on the plot but on these snapshots; in places it is fun and interesting, but it is capable of engaging the audience dramatically only in the climax (to the point of tears, I have to admit). It is a decent film for fans of police drama, though it may be a bit boring for others. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña are good as well. I gave Training Day four stars, so here I have to keep my rating at three. (11/05/2012)

Sure, I could complain here about the camera and the sobriety with which this movie is made. However, I knew what I was getting into, and most importantly, there is still a high number of actors which I was really looking forward to. And so I started watching End of Watch, and lo and behold, it’s actually a beautiful and honest movie portraying the demanding work of police officers in Los Angeles, who fight drug cartels every day. It’s a kind of a peek into this world, plus it’s incredibly human, natural, and beautifully non-affected. I have to admit, I don’t do this every day, but I simply ignored the flaws of the camera in this movie. While at the beginning it wasn’t exactly a hit, the premise, the filmmaking craft and the actors made me praise it in the end. End of Watch may not be a film for everyone but giving it a chance is worth it. Maybe it can also surprise other people like me, who can’t stand shaky cameras. (05/09/2014)