End of Watch: Character Over Action

When I first saw the trailer for End of Watch, to be honest, I had zero interest in it. For one thing, the trailer went on a little long and didn't do much to make the movie seem like more than your standard "cops deal with South Central LA crime." But the pre-release buzz was strong and positive, the reviews were solid (it currently holds an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes). So I rolled with it. And I'm glad I did.

End of Watch is better than your average movie about "cops deal with South Central LA crime." It has a beating heart and an intelligent, dialogue-based script that gives the audience plenty of rich character moments. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal (Love and Other Drugs, Source Code), Michael Pena (Tower Heist, The Lincoln Lawyer), Anna Kendrick (50/50, Up in the Air) and David Harbour (Quantum of Solace, State of Play). Written and directed by David Ayer (Training Day, Street Kings), the film was made off a miniscule $7 million budget, making almost four times that during the two weeks it's been out in theatres.

Brian Taylor (Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Pena) are two best friends working as partners in the LAPD. Working on a film class project, Brian records his daily duties with Mike on handheld camera and he chronicles (sometimes without permission) his and Mike's dealings with a gang/drug cartel. Mike's wife Gabby (relative newcomer Natalie Martinez) is expecting their first child and Brian starts dating graduate student Janet (Kendrick). As Mike and Brian try to understand just how dangerous this gang and their drug actitivies can be, the gang itself sets out to kill them both.

For the most part, End of Watch is a brilliant movie. When it focuses on Brian and Mike's friendship, as well as their relationships with women, the movie soars. It has an effortless feel; the scenes and the dialogue feel authentic and natural. The movie serves as a "behind the scenes" look at police life; scenes set at the precinct with Harbour as an embittered veteran cop and America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) and Cody Horn (Magic Mike) as two policewomen on the force ring true. Admittedly, though, the dynamic between Mike and Brian and the two policewomen is a little cliche (two goof-off guys balanced with two serious and competent women). I found that this portion of the movie is really strong.

Which is why it is such a disappointment when the movie indulges in cop-drama cliches like a rivalry between Brian and Mike and the gangsters. You know, if Ayer wanted to include that but found a unique and compelling way to show it, then that would have been fine. But the scenes with the gang, which sometimes break away from Brian and Mike, are so full of gangster cliches that it is hard to enjoy. The actors chosen to play the gangsters are really bad, choosing to interpret "dangerous" as "curses a lot."

Breaking away from Brian and Mike to focus on the gang and their drug activities is a mistake. It takes away from the real-life feel of the movie. One of the best scenes is Brian and Janet's wedding, where Gabby gives a drunken and risque mini-monologue about what it's like to be a cop's wife. It's funny, it's interesting and it really develops the characters to make them feel authentic. All the scenes in Brian and Mike's patrol car are excellent too, showing friendship and history between the two men.

Performances from the lead cast are exceptionally strong. Gyllenhaal, with his boyish good looks and rascal charm, is a really strong actor and his performance as Brian emerges as one of his better ones. Pena, one of Hollywood's most dependable character actors, does outstanding work in the movie. He offers a lived-in performance, one that I hope doesn't get overlooked come awards season. The chemistry between the two guys is outstanding. Anna Kendrick turns in a strong supporting role, breathing life into a small part. Same for Natalie Martinez.

Cinematography and editing are both pretty interesting, jumping back and forth between handheld camerawork and conventional camerawork. Ayer's script and direction, as said before, is strong in some parts but weaker in others. At the end of the day, the positive points definitely outweigh whatever criticisms I have about it. It's a strong, unique movie that deserves to be seen.

As a reminder, here's my world-famous ratings system:
1. Buy it on Blu-Ray (must se ASAP)
2. Redbox the DVD (highly recommended)
3. Save it for HBO (deserves commercial-free viewing)
4. Catch it on TBS (doesn't deserve commercial-free viewing)
5. Don't touch it with a 10 foot pole (speaks for itself).

End of Watch: Redbox the DVD, for sure.