Showing @ Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Tue 8 – Thu 10 Jan 2013

David Ayer / USA / 2012 / 109 min

Partly a reflection on economic difficulties currently facing US police forces, the recent legalisation of marijuana in Colorado State will reportedly reduce spending and augment police time. David Ayer’s frenetic but pensive feature exposes some officers’ attitudes but shows that despite their inflated egos, they’re still little cogs in a big machine. The violent yet humdrum daily routine of LAPD officers Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña) is shaken up after busting a well connected cartel member.

Unlike Hollywood’s typical macho output, instead of mythologising his characters, Training Day writer, Ayer, works hard to humanise them (Taylor’s desire for an adult relationship), evoking empathy and accentuating the brutal scenes far more than the now tired and overused handheld camera angle. Ayer’s narrative is sprightly and informed, touching on many themes including the LAPD’s internal bureaucracy and the US education system (Mike’s comment about making good money with no college degree), creating an elevated sense of understanding and awareness in Ayer’s characters. The constant flitting between brutality and the mundane almost turns Ayer’s film into a debate about the differing aspects of the wearisome career. It becomes a proclamation of the similarities between people, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality or occupation.

Follow Callum on Twitter @CWMadge.