Mike and Brian are LAPD patrol officers working the streets of a predominantly Mexican neighborhood. Their beat includes everything from drug busts to prostitution rings and even child trafficking. Mike is Latino, while Brian is a former Marine. Their combined knowledge of the streets and tactical skills make them a formidable team, but every day on the job could be their last.
David Ayer, the screenwriter behind “Training Day,” seems either stuck in a rut or determined to become the definitive chronicler of Los Angeles’ “urban” neighborhoods. Eleven years after his most celebrated work, he finds himself in a similar creative space, despite having directed three films in the interim. “End of Watch” is a challenging film to describe, as it’s both action-packed and strangely uneventful. The protagonists have surprisingly modest ambitions: to serve the community, uphold the law, and find love. The film depicts not just the “daily grind” of detectives, but rather a few months in the lives of dedicated patrol officers. While everything seems in order, it’s not immediately clear why the audience should invest two hours of their time in these characters. After all, one doesn’t typically seek out a traffic cop for a heart-to-heart on the weekend.
Interestingly, this is Jake Gyllenhaal’s third time playing a former military man in the last seven years, following roles in “Jarhead,” “Brothers,” and “Source Code.”
Surprisingly, David Ayer’s next project isn’t another film about Los Angeles gangs, but a remake of the classic “Commando,” slated to star Sam Worthington.
The Performances
The main draw of the film is undoubtedly the performances of the lead actors. Gyllenhaal once again embodies the persona of a Marine – his shaved head and wide eyes creating a magnetic presence. There’s even a brief, memorable scene where he performs the “Chicken Dance.” However, these moments are fleeting. The majority of the film focuses on the mundane realities of police work, which Ayer attempts to liven up with constant shifts in perspective. This is where he falters. By frequently changing the camera angle and image quality (from handheld to cell phone footage), Ayer tries to create a sense of urgency, but the effect is superficial. In similar films, the audience needs to understand whose perspective they’re seeing. Gyllenhaal’s character does act as a videographer, but the shaky camera work continues even when the camera is supposedly off. This raises the question: who are these people constantly following the police officers, and why?
The Verdict
Ultimately, the film’s realism is sacrificed in favor of a reality-show-style portrayal of cops. Even if one accepts this concept, the fact that the rules of this narrative device are only known to the filmmakers is frustrating.