End of Watch [DVD]

'End of Watch', is the only cop film ever to capture the spirit of interaction between 2 ghetto cops and the sort of comments they make to each other while patrolling. In my case, being a minority (3rd Generation Japanese-American), similar to Mike Pena's Hispanic character in this film, paired with a testosterone-fueled white male partner, who was quick with the ethnic slurs, reminded me of working with Bruce Kameg at the 1st Precinct in the late 1970s. I read many of the reviews of the film here, on Amazon.com and it's interesting that people either loved and endorsed the film or HATED it, with little reaction in-between those 2 extremes. There are many cop-haters in the world and some who saw this film said they much preferred 'Training Day'. The reason is obvious to me-the horribly 'bad' cop portrayed by Denzel Washington enabled those cop haters to reinforce their already negative opinions of how corrupt and rotten cops are. Other negative reviews came from law enforcement types who are desk jockeys, paper shufflers or have worked only in suburban areas, where the big call of the night is "a drunk at the 7-Eleven'. They are in no position to judge the authenticity of this film, because their experiences are so different, they might as well have taken place on another planet. Ghetto policing is a whole different experience and it's a young man's game, often performed by coppers with a high school education, at best. Some critics didn't like the "immaturity" of the characters. Like it or not, that depiction is real, not about ALL ghetto cops, but many. A flippant attitude can be essential for mental survival in an insane environment. Some said the camera was too jerky and watching the action made them sick. Welcome to the real world of ghetto cops-in particular the fight near the beginning and the jolting car crash, which began the final action scene. The jerky camera action really 'put you there', making me feel like I was back on the street. It might not be 'pleasant' to experience, but it is realistic. On my first night on patrol, (I was still in the academy) I was sent to the Vernor Pct for 'In Service training'. I rode in the back of a patrol car, with an experienced 2 man crew. After sliding back and forth on the back seat, racing from one priority call to another, and drawing my gun 7 or 8 times in a single night, I felt like I'd been on a roller coaster for 8 hours. I said to myself " I don't think I can do this s*** for 25 years." But some of us did adapt to that crazy world and I remained on uniformed street patrol for 25 years, on Detroit PD. Other negative reviewers (and there were MANY with this objection), stated they couldn't stand the obscene language that was so pervasive in 'End of Watch'. Go back and watch the film again. Although the cops are prone to swearing (which is accurate), 90% of the F-bombs in the film are spoken by ghetto gang members-welcome to reality. Again, this was totally realistic and the 'emotional violence' which Joseph Wambaugh recognized as a major component of the police experience is captured perfectly by the black actor who fights the Hispanic cop at the beginning of the film. I read that he is in fact a real gang member and street guy and the torrent of obscenity and disrespect that flowed from his mouth in that scene was 100% similar to the verbal abuse I listened to, for 25 years. This also transported me back in time, to hear that obscene dialogue. Most of the severe critics of this film are basing their opinions on what? Their years of working at Dunkin Donuts or perhaps the many police movies they've watched? The director of this film wanted to get it right and the 2 main actors spent months riding along with LAPD and LA Sherriff's crews, to get a feel for what they actually say and do, while working. Learning of their preparation for these roles was what nudged me to go see the film. It is very accurate on many levels-I know, because I've lived much of that experience. The only thing that was way over the top, was the amount of shooting at the end. Even in ghetto policing, that is not nearly as prevalent as shown in this movie and when it does happen, it's usually over a lot quicker than the prolonged gun battle at the end of this movie. But that is typically Hollywood and is inserted to add box office appeal. The basic premise of the film required one or both of the officers to die at the end, but this could have been accomplished in a much briefer space of time. I believe one reason response time was prolonged in the film, is that cops who call for assistance always 'perceive' that it takes forever for help to arrive, even if it is a matter of seconds or a few minutes. Other aspects of the film which have been panned: By my calculations, I made over 15,000 traffic stops in my career and I never had the occupants of a stopped car come-out shooting, as was shown in the opening scene of this film. However, this DOES occasionally happen and footage captured recently on real life police dashboard cams, shows that the scenario looks VERY similar to what was depicted in 'End of Watch'. In another traffic stop scene in the film, a citizen's gun arm is grabbed by a cop, just as he tries to shoot the cop. MANY ghetto cops have grabbed a firearm out of the hands of a hostile citizen. I once grabbed the barrel of a .12 gauge shotgun and deflected it away from me, after walking-up behind a armed citizen who had just shot at his neighbor (it later turned-out this citizen had two prior murder convictions on his rap sheet). As to the scene where Pena takes off his gun to fight an abusive citizen, that also DOES happen occasionally. I know of a FEMALE Detroit cop, who did that and whipped a strapping 22 year old young man, with a big mouth. They teach in the academy never to do this, but Pena's character was a ring boxer, which was revealed in one of the unfortunately deleted scenes. So he was capable of doing things the average cop would not attempt to do. Other negative reviewers of the film resented the fact that cops were portrayed as occasional heroes in the film. I never crawled along the floor of a building engulfed in a raging fire, to save occupants of an apartment building before the Fire Department arrived, but this happened to my partners one night, when I was off. Going-in to a situation like that, with no adequate fire retardant clothing or breathing apparatus is nothing short of heroic and would be like expecting a fireman without a gun to take-on an armed felon. Yes, my partners did that, in a Cass Corridor apartment building and they saved some lives. One of them (Michael T. Walsh), happens to be the son of a Detroit fireman. In short, many of the experts who have condemned this film don't have any idea what they're talking about. My final comment on this, is to all the cop haters and also the chairborne desk jockey types, who never get out on the street and care only about getting promoted. Your reasons for hating this film are obvious. As to the bluenoses who can't stand hearing dirty words in a film, their objections should in no way reflect on whether this film is an accurate depiction of reality, in big city policing. On the contrary, the horrible language is just one more realistic aspect of this film. Patrolling the Cass Corridor of Detroit, in the 70s-80s was very similar. 'End of Watch' has nailed the ghetto policing experience more accurately than any Hollywood film, to date.

Warning: There is strong language used throughout, drug use and gruesome/ violent scenes. There's also racist jokes told between the officers jabbing at each other but I didn't find anything offensive and only humorous. End of Watch is about two young Los Angeles police officers who stumble upon secrets of the Mexican drug cartel which leads them to become the cartel's targets. The leading roles are Officer Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Officer Mike Zavala (Michael Pena), who are partners in the LAPD. The villains of the movie come off as very evil, hateful people. One is even named 'Big Evil' because, well, as he put it, "my evil is big." Although this film is directed by the same man who did 'Training Day', it is nothing like that movie. This film led by Gyllenhaal and Pena shows qualities, between the two, that every officer should have; those being courage, loyalty, and integrity. There is no dirtiness or crookedness about them like with Denzel Washington in 'Training Day'. They are honorable and dedicated to their job and loyal to one another, you can feel the sense of brotherhood between them. I felt like both actors did exceptionally well and gave a realistic/ natural performance. Prior to seeing this I wasn't a Jake Gyllenhaal fan but he won me over in this performance. Throughout the movie you'll see them at the barracks, on the job, and off duty within their personal lives in an attempt to make you feel connected with them on a personal level. The majority of the film is shot from a first person perspective which allows you to see things not only from Officer Zavala and Taylor's POV but also the gang members POV. Different ways the film is recorded include cameras attached to each officer's shirt, handheld camcorders, a dash cam etc. I found it interesting but some people will not like this filming style at all. I'll be completely honest this movie is a tear jerker and it's also one of my all time favorite movies. If you can handle the filming style; you'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll love End of Watch.

So phenomenal. One of my favorite movies.

Gritty but well worth watching. The acting is outstanding and the story line is engaging.

Nuff said!

Such a great film. Michael Pena and Jake Gyllenhaal just killed it. Ridiculous chemistry and timing. Direction was really good to. An intense movie that will have you sweating, laughing and with a higher level of respect for LAPD. (probably not a film to watch if you are a "defunder".

𝑰 𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒅, 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌, 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒆𝒔, 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏, 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒂𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. 𝑾𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆, 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒅 End of Watch is a 2012 American action thriller film written and directed by David Ayer. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña as Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, two Los Angeles Police Department officers who work in South Los Angeles. The film focuses on their day-to-day police work, their dealings with a certain group of gang members, their friendship with each other, and their personal relationships. To call the streets of South Central Los Angeles familiar turf for David Ayer would be an understatement; he grew up there, and has spent the last two decades specializing in telling gritty cop tales. His previous works as both a director and screenwriter - like 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑫𝒂𝒚 and 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒂𝒔𝒕 & 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 to name a few - notably portray morally ambivalent officers who specialize in breaking the law and justifying their actions. Ayers describes 𝑬𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 as a sort-of antithesis to what is the typical (and, really his typical) presentation of those in law enforcement, which is sure to be a pleasant surprise for audience members Inundated with films focusing on their capacity for corruption as opposed to honest intentions. Perhaps not surprisingly, former LAPD officer Jaime Fitzsimons would serve as the film's primary technical advisor, and his previous experience with partnering officer Darryn Dupree would Inspire several key plot points within the script. Without this information it is very easy to assume that the way many elements and events are intertwined within one another is unreasonable or illogical, and I wouldn't blame any viewer for desiring a little more exposition or background information during specific scenes.. Intended as an immersive glimpse into the lives of two cops, 𝑹𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝑰𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔 is credited with making the documentary-esque style of 𝑬𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 achievable. They most notably designed and utilized cameras that were small enough to be worn by lead actors Peña and Gyllenhaal - with Gyllenhaal having a larger portion of control over his specific camera(s) then usual - and dashboard cameras that are capable of capturing action in a realistic and organic way. As if anticipating questions audience members may have about logistical related information, opportunities for the fourth wall to be broken are essentially written into the script; consequently, the tone remains casually instructive - although not as technical as it could be - without bottoming out as a tedious or stuffy experience. Shooting happened over the course of 22 days, but preparation began long before the cameras started rolling. For 5 months Gyllenhaal and Peña participated in an intensive training program overseen by Fitzsimons with a curriculum that included police tactics, hand-to-hand combat, weaponry, and 12 hour ride-alongs ( which, not so #funfact, Gyllenhaal witnessed a murder occur during the first one he participated in). With a newfound appreciation for their positions and commitment to one another the chemistry between Ayers primary characters is as tangible as it is prevailing. The discourse and interactions linking the mundane to situations that are a matter of life-or-death remains seamless throughout and speaks truth to the level of camaraderie Brian and Mike feel amongst themselves and on a communal level the allegiance they have to other individuals that have an occupation also related to law enforcement. There is no denying that 𝑬𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 is made with a bias inclined towards flattery; the benefit of the doubt given the larger context may not be so easily offered by specific viewers, but what Ayers has created manages to be both eye-opening and heart-wrenching. Arresting and unobtrusive, what could be exceedingly pretentious is relatively down-to-earth, and given the level of sacrifice alluded to and represented, the preoccupation with blurring some lines and sharpening our vision are all I guess we can ask for.

The best film!!!

De esas que te reconcilia con la afición cinefílica e incluso la compulsión compradora.. Jajaja Original, innovadora, dura, directa, emocionante... Todo lo que se le `podría pedir al género. Y más. Digna del director de la también SUBLIME Training day.

This movie is PHENOMENAL!!!! the things that Jake and Michael have to deal with is crazy, the cartel that they go up against makes for some gruesome scenes but it’s a great looking into the reality of just how bad cartel crime is in LA and how truly hard the jobs are of cops who have to deal with it,I would VERY highly recommend you buy this movie, don’t just watch it, BUY IT, cause I guarantee you’re gonna watch it several times again so don’t waste your money renting/ordering it when you can get it for a steal on here

Questo film tratta per lo piu' l'aspetto umano dei poliziotti, la loro vita privata, la passione per il loro lavoro e il rapporto fondamentale di fratellanza e lealtà nei confronti di chi gli sta accanto. Sullo sfondo in questo caso di una città (Los Angeles) violenta, dura , non adatta a persone deboli. Girato per la maggior parte con l'utilizzo di una videocamera questo film, probabilmente tratto anche da storie successe realmente, puo' piacere ad un pubblico in grado di riflettere sugli aspetti che riguardano il lato umano e sentimentale delle persone e dei poliziotti coinvolti in questo mondo difficile. Molto meglio vedere un film del genere rispetto alle solite fiction e serie tv poliziesche fintissime

Very realistic, full of action, humor and emotions. Great performances. Must watch till 'end of watch'.

Ce film est très fort, il arrive à nous transporter dans les rues de LA, dans le ghetto où les gangs font la loi et où la police essaye de maintenir tant bien que mal un semblant d'ordre. On suit donc deux excellents flics qui font leur boulot, une grande histoire d'amitié et de courage, deux frères d'armes, ça prend les tripes, c'est émouvant, c'est parfois un peu dur, voir hard core mais pour moi c'est une excellente surprise. Habituellement je n'aime pas trop cette façon de filmer caméra au poing façon film amateur mais le réalisateur Davis Ayer s'en sort plutôt bien, ça ne m'a pas dérangé plus que ça. Un très bon BD avec une bande son géniale et pas mal de bonus. Un gros coup de cœur que je conseillerai.