Los Angeles police officers Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal)
and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña) have everything to live for. They love their jobs, and have racked up a
number of commendations in their still young careers. They’ve also formed an unbreakable bond with
each other that transcends mere friendship.
Things go horribly bad when a traffic stop turns up a cache of exotic
weaponry and drug loot. The bust brings
Taylor and Zavala even more glory, but also puts them on the radar of a vicious
Mexican drug cartel. When the cartel
places a green light on them, they find themselves on the front lines as never
before.
End of Watch is
the latest police drama from writer/director David Ayer, the scribe behind Training Day. This film covers similar territory, but the
focus is placed on L.A.’s finest as opposed to L.A.’s most disgraceful. It’s not done as a typical thriller with an elaborate
plot. Yet another crucial difference is
that it is the first of Ayer’s films (and perhaps the first cop flick ever) to
employ the “found footage” aesthetic.
That approach allows for a variety of clichés and genre tropes to be
viewed through a fresh lens. It also
allows Ayer to craft a harrowing love letter to the boys in blue.
The found-footage conceit is worked conveniently into the
plot. Officer Taylor is working on
project for his film class, and carries around a digital camcorder while on the
job. He also wears a miniature digital
camera that he can pin to his uniform.
He requires Zavala to do the same, so as to get as much coverage as possible. I’m not sure as to the plausibility of all this,
as I would assume that every police department across the country has strict
policy regarding such things. Ayers smartly
makes Taylor’s class project into a bone of contention with his coworkers and
superiors.
The antagonists of the piece follow suit. A group of Mexican gangbangers carries a
camcorder to document their various crimes for posterity. Not the smartest thing in the world, but it’s
definitely believable given the penchant that gangsters often have for self-glorification. At times, the film violates the rules of the
found-footage genre by incorporating omniscient shots that are not the product
of any of the character’s camcorders (or security cameras, news footage,
etc.). These “cheats” are noticeable,
but not distracting.
Like many modern police procedurals and cop shows, End of Watch emphasizes a certain brand
of gritty realism. It comes by this via
the cinéma vérité shooting style, as well as the dialogue and performances. Athens Park Bloods member turned technical
Advisor Cle Shaheed Sloan aka “Bone” makes a memorable appearance. Fans will know him from his turns in Training Day and Brooklyn’s Finest, as well as his documentary Bastards of the Party. Here,
he plays a key role in one of the film’s single best scenes.
Sloan’s presence lends an air of authenticity to the
proceedings. The same can’t be said for
the Mexican gangbangers, who feel exaggerated to the point of caricature. The film shows them as nothing more than
hateful, bloodthirsty troops. To a
degree, this does add to tension. These
guys clearly don’t play, and are a clear threat to anyone wearing a badge.
In recent years, film critics and bloggers have often
lamented how genre films have come to resemble video games. They often fail to mention that this doesn’t
have to be a bad thing. In its most
tense and frightening moments, End of
Watch takes on the ambience of a good action game or first person
shooter. This is especially true during
the riveting climax, in which Taylor and Zavala are pinned down by enemy fire
in an apartment complex. It’s one of the
rare instances in which the chaos cinema aesthetic is not only appropriate, but
is employed to optimum effect.
The film’s single greatest assets are Gyllenhaal and Peña. Their sense of brotherhood is palpable. Never once does it feel sappy, forced, or
melodramatic. In their hands, the profane
and witty banter provided Ayer comes to life.
End of Watch
points out a bold new direction for modern police procedurals. Like The
Raid: Redemption, it borrows from the survival-horror playbook. In this sense, the horror is much more real
and immediate. The bad guys aren’t
zombies or high powered martial artists.
They are the kinds of thugs that populate just about every city in
America. The heroes in this world suffer
losses of a variety that are often impossible to recover from. End of
Watch may cover familiar territory, but it lingers in the mind far longer
than most other films of this type. It’s
easily David Ayer’s best effort yet.
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