End of Watch

If there's been a better cop movie than End of Watch then I definitely haven't seen it or don't remember it. End of Watch combines a few different genres - intense and gritty thriller, docudrama, and funny buddy cop movie - and somehow it all manages to work for the most part .

The film, directed by David Ayer, follows the exploits of two cops Brian (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike (Michael Pena), partners who come back after a knock em down drag em out car chase / shoot out only to be transferred to the dangerous and gritty South Central of Los Angeles. A routine run in with a group of Latino gang members peeks their interests and soon they are finding reasons to pull over suspicious people. On one of these routine pull overs, they discover blinged out guns and tons of money. This puts them on the radar of the Mexican drug cartel who puts a hit out on the cock of the walk partners. That's the plot in a nutshell, save for Mike's newborn baby with his high school sweetheart and Brian's fledgling relationship with an adorable good girl (Anna Kendrick). It may not sound all that thrilling and intense and interesting, but it most certainly is all of those things and more.

Brian carries a camera around to film crime scenes in an attempt to make a "Day in the Life" video for a film night class he's taking. This behind the scenes accessibility gives the film a whole new feel. The movie feels like you are actually there, on a ride along with the LAPD which lends End of Watch a whole new level of intensity. You are there for the thrilling car chases. You are there for the creepy walk throughs of seemingly abandoned houses. You are there for the heroic (stupid??) race into a burning building to save three children. And you are even there for the boring parts too. But these boring parts, asinine converstations between partners and friends from everything to sex and relationships and weekend plans, are rich and electrifying given the natural chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Pena.

Pena is so damn realistic in this movie that sometimes you feel like you are watching a reality show about his life. His lived in character doesn't feel fake or even scripted. It's like he's just living his day to day life and we are lucky enough to watch. His performance is revelatory. Gyllenhaal is great too, as the tough and loyal cop. The chemistry between the two is one of the many aspects that brings this from common and boring cop drama and puts it in a whole other playing field. Even Kendrick scores as a cutie in a small and more or less thankless role.

The movie is not without it's faults. There is one gleaming plothole that I won't mention because I don't want to ruin anything. Plus, the black and Latino gang members border on racial sterotyping. Also, I would have preferred the movie had it ended five minutes sooner. I think the ending I envisioned, while enigmatic, would have been more satisfying. Still, End of Watch is a damn good movie. As far as cop movies go, it's one of the best. Ever .

Grade: B+