End of Watch (2012) - 8/10

I really enjoy this movie and have seen it more than a few times. However, it was interesting revisiting it with the rubric in mind. In some cases, I gained some new perspectives on the characters and the story. In other cases, I begin to question exactly what this film is. Is it a tribute? Is it a critique? Cautionary tale? Character study? I don't know, and I'm not convinced the movie does either. Anyway, less babbling in the opener - let's just get into the rubric. 

1. Acting 

Of all facets of this film, this is by the far strongest. The two leads of the film are Brian Taylor played by Jake Gyllenhaal, and Mike Zavala played by Michael Pena. The pair are able to tap into a level of chemistry that is truly special. The relationship between the two characters feels so incredibly real and authentic that it elevates the entire film well above where it probably deserves. Every story they share feels real. Every laugh they have is genuine. Every move feels like they are in sync with each other. And every insult they hurl at each other feels like true sibling love. It's made more impressive to have learned that the two actors didn't "click" when they initially met. Rather, they forged a genuine connection over the course of training and doing ride-alongs for five months prior to filming. 

I'm sure Gyllenhaal and Pena will come up again in this review, but let's take a quick second to talk about the rest of the cast. Despite being about the LAPD which is a massive organization, the cast of characters is actually fairly small. Whether that was a budgetary move or not, the result is actually a net-good for the film. Each character gets to have at least a few different moments on screen instead of being a glorified extra behind the two leads. David Harbour for instance, gets to play the jaded old timer who has become completely disenchanted by both the job and department. His monologue about his grievances is not only delivered great, but is highly relatable to anyone who has worked in a job/organization like the police. Frank Grillo also shines as the sqaud's sergeant and is able to capture the sense of mid-leadership as both a mentor and annoyed parent for the other cops. 

The other main supporting roles that I will point out are Natalie Martinez and Anna Kendrick who serve as spouses to the main leads. Both do a great job in their roles, but Kendrick gets the bulk of the extra screen time as the 'newcomer' amongst the characters. She, as usual, brings a bright and airy demeanor to the character while also getting the chance to broaden the range dramatically towards the conclusion of the film.  

2. Cinematography 

I can see this movie splitting audiences down the middle with its camera work. Handheld, shaky cam, with a focus on constantly changing POVs can be off-putting in large volumes. In fact, I just finished criticizing The Bourne Identity for similar reasons. However, I thought the varied and often experimental approaches to the handheld style of shooting made this particular movie better. Part of the intention behind this movie was getting the experience of jumping in the car with two officers and living a day in their life. In that respect, using dash-cam footage, body cams, and POV cameras makes total sense both tonally and technically. 

None of this is not to say that the camera work for this film is perfect. If we're being nit-picky, the filmmakers don't seem to want to commit to one particular perspective. In some scenes we are tied heavily to only using the cameras that would exist within the world. In other words, the shots used would all originate either from the body cams, the camera Brian brings with him, dash-cams from the car, or something else that actually exists within the scene. However, we then frequently break that rule and get camera perspectives from places that don't actually exist in the scene. It's a weird inconsistency that can break immersion once you start noticing it too much. 

I think part of the reason for those inconsistencies of camera perspective are because of the limitations the handheld style can have. In order to shoot in certain lighting conditions, or to capture particular angles, depths or zooms, you have to break that rule and shoot in a more classical way. You can elicit similar feelings of shaky cam without compromising the rest of the composition. 

With that said, the handheld cameras really amplify certain moments in the movie for the better. The scene where Brian and Mike run into the burning house benefits greatly from the really tight and chaotic close ups that the camera provides. It creates a true sense of disorientation and claustrophobia for the characters and heightens the tension for the audience. Similarly, the POV shots in the climatic gun fight in the apartment complex really raise the stakes for the audience and show the split second reactions times that the characters need to have. This again, heightens tension and places the audience front row to a scary situation. 

3. Production/Costume Design

The production teams worked heavily with the LAPD to provide a sense of realism to film. The shooting locations were well scouted and the uniforms and patrol cars all feel very true-to-life. I think part of what sells this is the actors doing some great physical work. The way they stand, the way they wear their glasses, and the way they interact with their gear elevates the production value. 

4. Writing 

This is probably the part of the rubric that most intrigued me on this re-watch. Like I said in the opener, I am having trouble identifying exactly what this film wants to be. I guess the easiest thing is to look at a few different lenses and see what fits. 

David Ayer, after having made some 'dirty cop' movies like Training Day and Street Kings wanted to flip the script a bit. Ayer has spoken about having numerous friends who are police officers and also has a reverence for the work that they do. In that sense, this film could certainly be a tribute to the police. With that said, if that is the goal of the film, is this the best version of that? If it's meant to be realistic, then why does it often feel like hyperbole? If it's meant to be reverent, than why are the characters so juvenile? And why are they depicted skirting proper procedures and using bullshit PCs to investigate or detain suspects? 

Okay, well maybe it isn't a tribute. Maybe it is actually a critique the uses irony. And so we get the audience to like the characters, only to challenge the audiences affection by showing them doing dishonest things or acting shitty. Maybe we shouldn't revere cops because they haze and bully the rookies. Or we shouldn't respect them because they act just like the criminals do. Then, the message at the end of film where the leads get shot is showing you their comeuppance. Yet if this were true, then why does the ending also involve a shootout where the police don't just kill the criminals - they aerate them with a ridiculous amount of bullets while being scored with a kick ass in-your-face song that screams 'look how badass they are'. 

Fine, maybe it is not a police movie - it's a war movie. I see lots of scenes that hint at the mental struggles of policing and there are some common PTSD themes shared with other films such as Gyllenhaal's movie Jarhead. Also, if it's a war movie, then the constant battles and symmetry between the cops and criminals makes a lot of sense. It's a commentary on the fruitlessness of war and the effects that is has on combatants on both sides. But if this is the case, then who wins in the end? Maybe the lack of a conclusion is the point? Maybe?

I am being a bit flippant here, but my point is that this film doesn't seem to have a full grasp on what its goal is. And listen, not every movie needs to get tied up with a nice neat bow. Lots of films or pieces of art are just broad commentaries or reflections of our reality. But, if were going to apply the rubric, than the lack of particular vision means that the film is basically just a series of vignettes that takes a lot of time to really not say anything. 

I think where I ultimately land on this film is that, at its core, it is about brotherhood. The amount of time we spend with Brian and Mike is clearly the major focus of the film, and the level of care and authenticity that the script and actors bring to the table is what makes this film special. The police aspect is certainly important to their characters and permeates every aspect of their lives, but it's more of just a way to insert context. And even though I was being flippant before, this is structured like a war movie where the two leads are stuck in the foxhole together. It's not about the job, so much as their relationship. In the end the tale becomes a tragedy, and I think that provides a little bit of clarity. The unfortunate end suggests that the story is about the relationships we have, the ways in which they shape us, and how quickly that can be taken away. It sad, but poignant. And whether intentional or not, all the other aspects of the movie become set dressing. 

5. Sound Design 

I really enjoyed the sound design of the film. The soundtrack, for one, has some great moments during the film, especially the blaring use of tracks like Public Enemy's Harder than you Think. But maybe more artistically, I like the varied perspectives of where sound is coming from. The opener for example uses a couple of different techniques the blend together very nicely. 

In the scene, we open with narration of Gyllenhaal reciting a hard-ass excerpt about police officers. In the background we see the partners engaged in a car chase, but all of the ambient noise is turned down low for the narration. As Gyllenhaal finishes his recitation, the ambient noise get turned all the way up. Suddenly the scene is filled with the blaring sounds of the sirens, the screeching of tires that are skidding along the asphalt, and the classic sound of a police radio putting out updates on the chase. Then, from off screen we hear the sounds of the partners hyping each other up and signaling their intentions. Finally, the suspects crash the car with a loud boom. We hear the doors pop open and seconds later a barrage of incredibly loud gunfire is exchanged. Glass is heard shattering while we see the two officers advance into frame. They kill the suspects and from a distance we hear their slightly muffled conversation as they make sure both of them are okay. Its fantastically composed on multiple levels and feel free to watch is below.

 

6. Editing

This is actually a fairly quick movie. I could easily see a film like this exceeding the 109 minute mark that this one hits. It's a good thing though, because the film doesn't want to overstay its welcome.  And as we already discussed, the film meanders between a few different ideas and this edit luckily seems most interested in focusing on its strength - the relationship between the leads.

7. Visual Effects 

Apart from some exaggerated muzzle flashes, the limited use of CGI is good. Most effects are done practically and the bullet hits feel visceral. The props department also did some solid work creating the remnants of the Cartels handy work.  

8. Originality or Strength of Adaptation 

This film certainly has a lot of company in the 'police movie' genre. Nevertheless, it carves out its own interesting niche by focusing on realism and the relationships amongst the characters. I'd say it rates fairly high in its originality with that focus in mind.  

 9. Stunt Coordination 

I know the filmmakers and actors worked with consultants and the LAPD to make the film feel realistic. The procedures they employ may have been complete nonsense or tactically unsound, but it plays well on camera and the normal audience member will certainly buy all the stunt work. 

The only truly outrageous part was the ambush scene where Brian and Mike just casually jog through a complete bombardment of gunfire and emerge almost completely unscathed.  

 10. Direction 

David Ayer is a pretty interesting director. When he is on, he is on. Training Day and Fury are truly fantastic films. But then he turns around and makes things like Suicide Squad and The Tax Collector. He feels like two different directors sometimes. With that said, this film is certainly one of his better movies and only suffers from not having quite as crystal clear of a vision as some of his other films. 

Legacy/Final Thoughts

 Maybe my favorite part of this film is that is was made as an independent feature. The reported budget varies, but it is in the range of $7-15 million which is a drop in the bucket compared to what I thought it would be. And I think it is all the better for it. If a bigger studio had bankrolled this I could easily see them throwing $50 million at it. But, with that increased budget comes strings and expectations. This film was largely left to its own devices and the results speak for themselves. 

As for the final product, this is an emotional, exciting, visceral and experimental take on the 'cop movie' genre which has largely been played out at nauseam - especially on TV.  I like the fresh spin and cannot say enough kind words about the performances from the two main leads.