Directed by David Ayer
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña
Gritty drama meets Reality TV in David Ayers south central LA cop drama End of Watch. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña star as police officers who become targets of a dangerous drug cartel after the pair find a cache of money and weapons following a routine traffic stop.
There is no denying the genuine chemistry between the two leads, each balancing the other with a convincing sense of bravado and machismo.Gyllenhaal, in typical fashion, tends to overact in many scenes, while Peñas Hispanic stereotypes begin to turn stale. That aside, the two gifted actors fill the roles adequately.
There are genuine moments of tension that permeate throughout the movie as various members of the police squad round dark corners with guns drawn, always expecting the worst. Ayers point of view approach to the camerawork is initially quite effective, but the intensity gradually wears off as the film stumbles due to uneven pacing and some frankly nausea-inducing chase scenes.
The justification for all the handheld camera work in the movie becomes utterly ridiculous; its one thing for Gyllenhaals character to document a days work for a film class but the notion that a member of a hardened Mexican cartel would carry a camcorder amidst drive-bys and alley chases is nonsensical.
As a result, End of Watch gets lost in a murky attempt to galvanize a style of genre made famous by the television show Cops. The film has a lot of ambition and energy but isnt channelled properly in the end.
