The Recruit

What's the Plot?

James Clayton (Colin Farrell) is a smart man indeed. One of the top graduating seniors in the country, he has designed a computer programme that makes him sought after by one of the major software companies. However, Clayton is also being headhunted by another well-known company - the CIA. Top recruiter Walter Burke (Al Pacino) wants Clayton for the Agency. He finally convinces Clayton that he should at least check it out by mentioning his father's name who mysteriously died in a plane crash when he was young. Clayton, believing that he may find out what exactly happened to his father, joins up and finds himself with other recruits in a highly secret training ground. As Burke teaches him the ropes, Clayton easily rises above the rest of the candidates and begins to fall for fellow recruit Layla (Bridget Moynahan). When this affection is used against him, Clayton believes he has failed the CIA enrollment test and is out. That is dispelled when Burke informs him that it was a cover to allow Clayton to become an Ops Officer and help track down a mole inside the CIA itself. Now as the clues begin to lead to people that he cares for, Clayton has to face the CIA motto : nothing is what it seems!

James Clayton (Colin Farrell)

The Review

With the likes of Thirteen Days and No Way Out under his belt, director Roger Donaldson has shown his ability to make government-based stories not only interesting, but thrilling as well. His latest sees him achieve success again but not to the heights that the other 2 reached. The Recruit is not what you would call a plot-driven flick. The more astute cinema goers' out there will have the movies mysteries and plot twists clocked well before the last half of the film starts, but then that's probably not why a lot of people would buy a ticket to see it. What we have here is a star-driven movie and both of the leads seemed to have realised that fact and acted accordingly.

James Clayton (Colin Farrell)

Pacino does what he does best. Dramatic and suitably OTT when he needs to be - and sometimes when he doesn't ! - he shows all the signs of what has made him such a delight to watch over his career including a loud rant to the camera. However, it's Farrell that shines the brightest of the two. Even though he's given the usual role of the "rough round the edges" protégé - late for appointments; disregard for authority and rules etc. - Farrell manages to pull it from the stereo-type gutter and when his natural cockiness surfaces during a superbly set-piece of a macho card game, you can see why he has been labeled as a "one to watch".

Walter Burke and James Clayton (Al Pacino and Colin Farrell)

With the best use of a lie detector since Meet The Parents - a hurt and used Farrell finding out infront of the rest of the recruits whether Bridget Moynahan's character fancies him or not is priceless - The Recruit has it's application approved to join the ranks of good solid entertainment in the field of government / espionage thrillers. Plus, in the wake of recent events, the Pacino-uttered line "no one remembers our successes, only our failures" should linger in the memory until after the lights go up and the curtain closes.