End of Watch (2012)

Gritty, real and lots of action. The director/writer, Ayer, grew up on the streets of El Lay and it shows. Jake Gyllenhal and Michael Pena are just electric as partners in a black and white, and the performance by Cle Shaheed Sloan as the street hood with a sense of honor named Tre is awesome. The dialog is so good, that half the time you think this is an episode of Cops without any bleeps.

Ayer uses various camera techniques brilliantly to tell the story. I usually do not like a lot of hand-held (it sometimes makes me dizzy), but he uses it very well here and I suffered no side effects.

I look forward to Ayer's next movie: just see this one and you will too.

Fmovies: End of Watch seems to be another film that uses the found-footage style, but once again it's not a successful try. However, it still gets what it wants by being a true to life buddy cop film with a ridiculous amount of intensity. End of Watch looks pretty simple as a crime thriller, but everything is actually brilliant. The crimes are grim and the action is a load of thrills. But what really makes this film so appealing is the chemistry between Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña. Their bromantic moments keeps the entire film so charming. The rest of End of Watch is engaging and interestingly gripping.

The story is about the lives of the lead pair. As these police officers patrol around the streets, they spend their time talking and joking around until they see something going on. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña brings it to life. Their chemistry is the magic of this film. When it gets serious it becomes really intense, makes you wish both of them are safe on their dangerous jobs. The common elements of cop movies are explosions and stylish gunfights, but this film is all about tension and momentum.

The found-footage style is as messy as what the recent found-footage film, Chronicle, did. Which falls into being unnecessary. It sometimes gets shots that aren't filmed on any hand-held cameras. The camera-work is still well shot and serves a different experience, but it could have been something like what action directors, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor(strangely has the same name of the main character), do. Shaking the camera ridiculously without calling it a found-footage film. If you ignore the style, it would be cool. The quality of the film is being realistic and there it succeeds. They left the impossibly cool police movie stuff behind and instead make them simply scrutinize, arrest, and watch the streets.

End of Watch doesn't have much of a concept but to depict the credible lives of these hero cops. While the lead stars shine on their beautiful down-to-earth bromance, there's a grim reality about to affect their lives thus makes this an indeed so compelling film. Still, it could have been a Crank like film than a found-footage. The crazy cam is a great effect, but not the characters holding the camera. Aside from that, it's a top notch thriller that is easy enough to enjoy. Worth a ride and recommended.

Unlike many of the current crop of macho cop dramas, End of Watch plays mainly to the grit of the daily challenges of patrolling the mean streets of South Central LA in the "Shootin' Newton" division. Unlike the stunning LA Confidential, with a historical story line, End of Watch is done in the cinema ver'ite' style - in a realistic real cops on duty in the LA war zone frame. The casting in this movie is picture perfect, with each actor giving in depth performances.The story line brings the Mexican / US drug problem into crystal clarity. Initially, the story fails to coalesce, and the video cam work is a bit disjointed and over done at the outset, but once you settle in to cinematic method, the film gets a hold on you. Definitely a movie for any law enforcement aficionados collection.

End of Watch fmovies. 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

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.

This is hands down the best cop movie i have ever seen, nothing depicted here is new, gangs, money, drugs, torture, cops, death, etc...it is the way that its depicted that makes it stand out, the last time that these issues were well shown was in SHIELD. Jake gives his best performance yet, he really does stand out all the way till the end him and his partner play amazing cops. You really feel the intensity and reality of thee life of a cop shown through Jake's recordings, its just amazing how it all feels so real...you will not regret watching this film if you can handle it that is... This movie will keep you glued to the seat till the very end. End of watch was a great watch.