critic-at-large
Joined Mar 2007
Welcome to the new profile
We're still working on updating some profile features. To see the badges, ratings breakdowns, and polls for this profile, please go to the previous version.
Reviews6
critic-at-large's rating
End of Watch is a movie for people who cherish movies that are intelligent, believable, well-scripted, acted by men and women who love their characters (or at least love acting them); and filmed and edited by people willing to take chances in order to express their vision - to do something unique, even if the audience doesn't like it or "get" it. Such movies aren't just movies; they're works of art.
End of Watch is such a movie. Watching it you can tell that every single person on the screen is putting their heart into it. That's rare.
The script of End of Watch is intelligent. Really intelligent. It never for a moment plays down to the audience. Instead it brings the audience up to it's level. While in places the dialog is so fast that it's hard to catch what's being said, the writers pick you up later to let you in on it so that you're never left out for long enough to lose the story. They don't coddle you but they take care of you. It's a treat to be treated this way - like an intelligent viewer.
And the photography - sometimes you only get a suggestion of what's happening, like a painting that hints at figures, so the viewer isn't sure where the figures begin and the background ends. Or figures are cut and pasted like collage onto the moving screen. The rationale for these effects is that the movie is being filmed by a cop, or sometimes a pair of cops, who are documenting their work shift, sometimes openly, sometimes surreptitiously. What we get is a cop movie that's not just a cop movie, but also a work of art.
End of Watch is movie for people who like to care deeply about the characters in the story they're watching. It's a movie for people who care also about details but who don't need every story thread to go through a needle - as long as it's able to. It's a movie to watch again, and probably again and again; to keep in a permanent collection and bring out, like a bottle of very good wine, to watch with good friends.
End of Watch is such a movie. Watching it you can tell that every single person on the screen is putting their heart into it. That's rare.
The script of End of Watch is intelligent. Really intelligent. It never for a moment plays down to the audience. Instead it brings the audience up to it's level. While in places the dialog is so fast that it's hard to catch what's being said, the writers pick you up later to let you in on it so that you're never left out for long enough to lose the story. They don't coddle you but they take care of you. It's a treat to be treated this way - like an intelligent viewer.
And the photography - sometimes you only get a suggestion of what's happening, like a painting that hints at figures, so the viewer isn't sure where the figures begin and the background ends. Or figures are cut and pasted like collage onto the moving screen. The rationale for these effects is that the movie is being filmed by a cop, or sometimes a pair of cops, who are documenting their work shift, sometimes openly, sometimes surreptitiously. What we get is a cop movie that's not just a cop movie, but also a work of art.
End of Watch is movie for people who like to care deeply about the characters in the story they're watching. It's a movie for people who care also about details but who don't need every story thread to go through a needle - as long as it's able to. It's a movie to watch again, and probably again and again; to keep in a permanent collection and bring out, like a bottle of very good wine, to watch with good friends.
I saw this movie at the 2011 Santa Rosa International Film Festival. It affected me as few films ever have. I felt that I had just witnessed a labor of love as rarely comes to a screen. The story of a family under attack who witness and become part of a fantastical event grabbed me from the first moment and riveted my attention. But this is not just a movie; it is a work of art. As such, every detail is beautifully constructed; every frame is a memorable photograph.
In addition, Silent Sonata is actually silent, even more silent than The Artist, which won the 2011 Golden Globe for best foreign picture. It is a shame in fact that Silent Sonata did not get the opportunity to be seen by the wide audience that The Artist did. Of the two, I feel that Silent Sonata is far superior, a movie that could be seen again and again, with ever more details to discover and appreciate at each viewing.
I have been trying to find a copy to purchase for my private collection. If I am able to find one, I'll return here to post the source. This is a film not to be missed by dedicated film buffs.
In addition, Silent Sonata is actually silent, even more silent than The Artist, which won the 2011 Golden Globe for best foreign picture. It is a shame in fact that Silent Sonata did not get the opportunity to be seen by the wide audience that The Artist did. Of the two, I feel that Silent Sonata is far superior, a movie that could be seen again and again, with ever more details to discover and appreciate at each viewing.
I have been trying to find a copy to purchase for my private collection. If I am able to find one, I'll return here to post the source. This is a film not to be missed by dedicated film buffs.
