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End Of Watch Reviewed by Tim Grierson
With his screenplay for the Denzel Washington Oscar-winner Training Day and his features Harsh Times and Street Kings, writer-director David Ayer has meticulously chronicled the dangerous, ethically slippery world of the Los Angeles Police Depart- ment. His new film, End Of Watch, does not break much new ground on the subject, but it is nonethe- less an intensely rendered and superbly acted drama. This Open Road release premieres here at the
Toronto International Film Festival and will then head to US theatres on September 21. Despite the presence of Jake Gyllenhaal and Anna Kendrick in the cast, however, End Of Watch will have a hard time distinguishing itself from other recent cop dramas. With award possibilities unlikely, this stubbornly riveting little drama will probably be lost amid the Oscar-season rush. End Of Watch focuses on the lives of officers Tay-
lor (Gyllenhaal) and Zavala (Pena) as they work and hang out together during their off-duty hours. Because Taylor wants to document the reality of their jobs, he carries a digital camcorder and places mini-cameras on his and Zavala’s uniforms, and quite often the audience watches what transpires through these shots. Though largely episodic, End Of Watch eventually introduces a narrative thread concerning an encroaching drug cartel that has targeted the two cops for execution. In his previous films, Ayer has dramatised the
mental and emotional demands required to be a police officer, and End Of Watch can be seen as a
n 6 Screen International at Toronto September 8, 2012
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
US. 2011. 109mins Director/screenplay David Ayer Production companies Exclusive Media, EFF-Hedge Fund Films, Le Grisbi, Crave Films Domestic distribution Open Road Films, www.
openroadfilms.com International sales Exclusive Media, www.
exclusivemedia.com Producers John Lesher, David Ayer, Nigel Sinclair, Matt Jackson Executive producers Randall Emmett, Stepan Martirosyan, Remington Chase, Adam Kassan, Chrisann Verges, Guy East, Tobin Armbrust, Jake Gyllenhaal Cinematography Roman Vasyanov Editor Dody Dorn Main cast Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena, Anna Kendrick, Natalie Martinez, America Ferrera, Frank Grillo, David Harbour
further refinement of his long fascination with law enforcement. And though the found-footage gim- mick adds little — it seems preposterous that either the cops or their adversaries would be toting cam- eras — the technique blends seamlessly with the movie’s handheld camerawork, which is quite grip- ping during the unexpected shootouts and tense confrontations that greet our heroes. This character drama succeeds largely thanks to
Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena’s camaraderie as partners who are able to mock each other’s cultural differences but still be as close as brothers. With a lived-in authenticity, Ayer’s leads reveal how these two cops share a bond that no-one else, not even their significant others, can truly understand. End Of Watch has the twitchy anxiety and ran-
dom violence of a war film, and Gyllenhaal shows some of the same rugged strength he brought to Jarhead in his portrayal of the cocky, sarcastic Tay- lor. Pena is just as funny and effortlessly com- manding as his co-star. Even if much of it is familiar, the two tackle the material with gusto, complementing Ayer’s hard-edged worldview. As a further indication of End Of Watch’s ability
to overcome its clichéd storyline, Kendrick does fine work in what could be the predictable role of Taylor’s kind-hearted girlfriend, Janet. But she dis- plays not just sweetness but also a grown-up grit, making Janet a smart woman who knows full well the implications of falling in love with a man who puts his life in danger every single day. » See profile, page 34
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