End Of Watch (2012) - A Police Story So Close To Reality.

★★★★☆

‘End Of Watch’ tells an exhilarating police story in which we ride with two LAPD officers Brian and Mike played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena to fight crime around dangerous neighborhoods. They’re like partners, brothers and family. They tease each other, socialize with each other, and watch each other’s back. In a film like this, you’d somehow have a feeling that one of them is going to die in the end for sure. It’s just that you don’t know which one. Yes, your guess is right, but still the ending is kind of a surprise.

This film is so much like a reality show filled with nauseous elements of chases, shoot-outs, arrests, and of course offensive language delivered by ruthless scumbags as well as the police. Dirty words are so inevitable right from the beginning to the end. Forget it if you can’t stand it. Since it’s so close to reality, or say, a documentary and viewed from various angles by different types of cameras, you feel like you’re not just watching it happen as an audience, you’re literally there at the scene with the cops chasing, frisking, shooting, sharing their pain and nerve. Jake and Micheal’s performances are serious and convincing. The music is terrific. This police story certainly stands out by nakedly revealing the very ugly side of humanity and society, while on the other hand, praising few men’s integrity and loyalty. But seriously, no matter what, don’t marry a cop!

‘End Of Watch’ makes me quite uncomfortable: I wonder how people could turn so cold-blooded and blind just for money, and how many good buddies are still out there to be truly willing to keep their promise and cover their partners till the end of their lives. There are shiny and gruesome characters and scenes making you realize that, heaven and hell seem so far apart yet so close!