End Of Watch Movie Review

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf2K9GzgiF0



End of Watch review on Yahoo!
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Brian Taylor, and Michael Peña as Mike Zavala, the movie follows their law patrolling antics on the dangerous streets of suburban California, as the pair go about their daily duties of busting perps.

The routine is standard procedure, until they one day stumble upon something much bigger than their usual grand theft auto chases and drug busts. After making a grizzly discovery, they're advised to stay clear of a notorious cartel that's moving into town, but subsequently become more involved than ever anticipated.

It's from this point that the narrative really beings to gather momentum, with an increase in threat and action that's lacking in its early stages; initially focuses on their lives and, of course, their brother-like bond.

Both characters form close ties to one another as well as their loved ones, basing their lives on a 'one big family' ethos. At times this can feel a tad over-sentimental, but serves brilliantly as the plot unravels and descents into chaos.

The entire thing is filmed in a documentary style format, both externally by cameramen, as well as internally where Brian is allowed to record on the job. The events that take place therefore feel frenetic and raw.

What's more, the intensity is exacerbated by the excellent portrayal from both leads. Both Gyllenhaal and Peña offer a likeable, strong chemistry. The quality of the actors allows the poignant moments to hit hard, but succeeds when witty banter ensues, too. It's clear that a lot of the scenes were improvised: this convinces due to the whimsy dialogue retaining interest as the comradeship strengthens, and also because it appears utterly authentic.

'End of Watch' thrills, entertains, amuses and emotionally grips until its final shot. It's a powerful drama with big names filmed in superbly gritty locations, and is proof that you don't need to spend a fortune to create a great film (a mere $7m it's estimate budget).

Director David Ayer offers a little more poignancy and heartfelt engagement here, whilst retaining the same levels of shockingly realistic action, and themes of brotherhood, loyalty and sacrifice.