End of Watch

At first what seems like a pure spectacle of reality, then a sinister psychological thriller in the guise of an action flick, and at last an overwhelmingly escalating drama of people doing hard work in an unbearable place. During the operations and the necessity to draw a weapon, you can truly feel every breath and drop of sweat, and thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal's sincere gaze, End of Watch will stay with me for a long time. The reason it didn't make the highest rating is precisely because of its main asset – realism. In its authentic filth, David Ayer's romp cut a little too close for me to simply see it as a "mere" spectator experience. (02/14/2014)

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)

A film so engrossed in its own form that it’s not important whether or not it has any content. The hypermedialised style without strictly maintained continuity between shots is partly excused by the fragmented nature of the plot; however, it’s a shame that its modernism is not appropriately reflected in the impression that the film makes, which is conversely very conservative (glorification of police work, suppression of signs of latent homosexuality in favour of the traditional family model). The actions of the central duo, who have transformed their service to their country into something between a video game and a reality show, are not subjected to criticism, which would be weakened anyway by the “empathetic” acceptance of their viewpoint and the expansion of the look into their lives with the addition of the private realm. Both of them obviously suffer from problems with self-control and employ methods that are as vicious as those of the goons that they take their anger out on. I won’t deny that a few shots are pretty damn cool (Gyllenhaal doing push-ups under neon lights) and Anna Kendrick smiles delightfully (the screenwriter didn’t give her anything else to do), but as it stands, End of Watch lacks depth, concept and any aesthetic quality. 70% (11/05/2012)

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)

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)