End Of Watch (2012)

 I love a good police movie. All the guns and actions sequences, catching the bad guys and the suspense of the chase. It all makes for a good film. In the last few months the most talked about police movie has been 'End Of Watch'. Two cops in L.A. who are friends as well as partners (Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena) find themselves involved in local gang business when they begin to mess with criminals who are much worse than those they are used to. The film not only focuses on their policing escapades but allows for a glimpse inside their personal lives with their families and girlfriends (Anna Kendrick and Natalie Martinez).

 Shot in a documentary-way, the film brings a real life, gritty element that is rarely seen in any film, let alone an action packed cop film. This allows the audience to become truly involved in the characters lives and feel as though they are along for the ride. But lets be clear, this film does not hold back in any way, shape or form. Bloody violence is present throughout and the tension in some scenes is palpable, made only more real by the style of filming. It is most definitely not for the faint hearted.

 Every performance is brilliant, but the chemistry between the two leading men is incomparable. It is obvious that these two are good friends in real life and this comes across on screen as well. I guess you have to be when your research for a role involves getting tasered and being invited along to drug busts on ride-alongs (and that's my police dialogue exhausted). The scenes which are just the two of them, driving around L.A. waiting for a call add something to this movie that isn't really seen in other movies of this kind. It brings a really personal touch to the story and the people in it, and you really begin to feel for these guys when it all starts going wrong.

 If I had to pick a flaw with this film I would say that I am not particularly a fan of films where every other word is a swear word. I realise that it probably reflects the environment that the characters are in and is also assumably a huge part of the policing world, but it would be nice to hear a sentence every so often that didn't have an f word or an s word in it. It just seems a bit unnecessary to me, that's all. Also, due to the style of filming, I felt a bit dizzy at times with the hand held effect, but I am nitpicking now.

 Overall, this is definitely one to watch if you like a good action movie with it's gritty nature and constant violence. But it is the twist of both filming style and the personal touch that makes it stand out above all the others.