David Ayer's End of Watch stars Michael Peña and Jake Gyllenhaal as a pair of L.A. cops and close friends who work to keep the streets safe. Shot in a found-footage style, the movie follows the duo as they make enemies with a major drug cartel and attempt to lead happy personal lives. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
Director: David Ayer
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick, Frank Grillo, America Ferrera.
Release Date: Sep 21, 2012
Rated R for sexual References, Pervasive Language, Some Disturbing Images, Some Drug
Use and Strong Violence
Runtime: 1 hr. 49 min.
Genres: Drama
Review:
End of Watch is an aggressive film which feels like a cop version of into The Heart of Darkness. David Ayers uses a lot of filming techniques to get give his film a crazy kind of energy that makes the more mundane parts of the film seem less so. His style works for the most part but occasionally it’s more distracting than it needs to be, detracting from the quality of the story and excellent performances on display. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña have some of the best chemistry I’ve seen in ages in this type of film. Each works off each other extremely well. Their performances have a tangible and believable sense of authenticity throughout. It’s the best performance from both in a long while. They are the heart and soul of the film, creating an impressive connection with the audience even as the story gets more and more extreme, occasionally veering into implausibility. The supporting cast fills out the character’s world well, adding to the film’s overall quality and compounding the emotional punch the climax delivers.
B
