If director Judd Apatow, known for his gross-out comedies that incorporate bromance, made his version of Training Day, then the result would be End of Watch: a violent movie about two LAPD cops, who are also best friends, who became targets of a prominent Mexican drug cartel in South Central Los Angeles after heading a big operation that paralyzed their empire.
Director David Ayer, who also wrote the script for Training Day, is at his comfort zone: LA's grittier side as seen from the eyes of police officers. As with the movie that gave Denzel Washington his Best Actor Oscar almost 11 years old, the film has some excellent performances from the lead actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena. Their natural banter on their police car while cruising around between operations is genuinely raw and funny. It does provide a stark contrast to the realistic and graphic images that are prominently featured in the movie. The shaky camera use was greatly integrated into the film, showing it exactly how cops see and feel while on their duty. Anna Kendrick and Natalie Martinez provide ample support as the ladies of the two leads but it is clearly Gyllenhaal and Pena's film.
Violent, graphic, gritty but ultimately and surprisingly feel-good, End of Watch is clearly one of 2012's best.
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