End of Watch

I wish there was more drama in End of Watch. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena star as Los Angeles cops who perform traffic stops and other menial police tasks. I’m kidding. The movie is actually full of possibly the worst situations a cop could actually be in. From start to finish there is little in the way of breaking the tension. At every turn something more brutal occurs than the scene before. When the hotshot duo continually stumbles upon the work of a Mexican drug cartel, they must deal with the added risk of having a price on their heads.

The chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Pena makes for a realistic on camera bond between two quality actors. Though it must be said that some of the drama actually takes away from the realism. The found footage perspective, which unceremoniously and inexplicably vanishes in the film’s back half, would mean that the audience would be forced to witness some everyday, boring police work. It doesn’t happen except for a two-minute look at the characters filling out paperwork. The rest is gunfights, chase scenes, murders, etc. If it weren’t for the comedic exchanges between the two, the movie would just be a bloodbath.

Putting the point-of-view breaks aside; End of Watch is an emotional trip inside a police cruiser. The intensity level remains consistently high because of the complete realism built by Gyllenhaal and Pena, with the help of some quality dialogue. I just can’t get over the fact that these cops are more soldiers than they are typical police officers. I anticipate this being a gateway role for Michael Pena who positions himself as a viable option for a comedic or dramatic lead. Gyllenhaal we already know about, always pretty solid. Maybe next time they can star in something with less decapitated bodies.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.