The Recruit (2003) Movie Information:

The Recruit (2003) Directed by: Roger Donaldson The Recruit (2003) Written by: Roger Towne, Kurt Wimmer, Mitchell Glazer The Recruit (2003) Cast: Al Pacino, Colin Farrell, Bridget Moynahan, Gabriel Macht, Mike Realba, Dom Fiore, Karl Pruner, Ron Lea, Jeanie Calleja, Jessica Greco

The Recruit (2003) U.S. Distributor: Buena Vista The Recruit (2003) U.K. Distributor: Buena Vista

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The Recruit (2003) Synopsis:

James Clayton might not have the attitude of a typical recruit, but he is one of the smartest graduating seniors in the country--and he's just the person that Walter Burke wants in the Agency. James regards the CIA's mission as an intriguing alternative to an ordinary life, but before he becomes an Ops Officer, James has to survive The Farm, where the veteran Burke teaches him the ropes and rules of the game. James quickly rises through the ranks and falls for Layla, one of his fellow recruits. But just when James starts to question his role and decides to "wash out," Burke taps him for a special assignment to root out a mole. It soon becomes clear that at The Farm, the CIA's old maxims are true: "trust no one" and "nothing is at it seems."

The Recruit (2003) Movie Review:

The Recruit is a tired CIA spy thriller that's
premise has been played out more appealing in other films of its genre. The film looks into the depths of "The Farm," which is the remote facility where the CIA train their would be agents.

The story follows a young computer whiz named James Clayton (Farrell). After being persuadably recruited by CIA veteran Walter Burke (Pacino), James begins his training at "The Farm." His mind, patience, agility, and endurance are tested and trained to think, walk, talk, and work as a CIA operative. Burke sees James as a protigi with unlimited promise. As James training continues he develops a relationship with a beautiful fellow trainee named Layla (Moynahan). As the two get
to know one another, their secrets are tested in one
exercise after another, most of them being initiated
by Burke with the intentions to make each the best CIA operative. After the training concludes through the first half of the film, Burke gives Clayton the
typical assignment of finding a mole in the CIA.
Clayton is left with only trusting himself and his
instincts on completing his mission. He quickly
learns that nothing is what it seems.

The Recruit is a high-tech spy film that takes almost every element that audiences have seen before and places it back on the screen. There are distinct similarities with this film and others like Spy Game (2001), Enemy of the State (1998), and Mission: Impossible (1996).

Director Roger Donaldson is a capable director of
thrillers and espionage, he has proven this in the
past with his work in No Way Out (1987) and Thirteen Days (2000). Donaldson holds some intensity and insight with The Recruit, but most of the film is almost a yawn. I just found myself knowing every secret of the story way before it is revealed and certain sequences took way too long to develop. The replicable "Farm" that Donaldson establishes holds the film's best scenes of interest.

Writers Kurt Wimmer, Mitch Glazer, and the great
Robert Towne (Chinatown) deliver a script that is
merely something that all audiences have seen before. At times, the dialogue is strong, but also bland. Examples are Walter Burke's speeches to the trainees come across as decorous. His lines seem to be actually coming out of the mouth of a government trainer. However, Clayton's cheese-ball lines his reference of gaining his sharp shooting abilities from playing Nintendo games only bring down the film's wanted intelligence. The first half of the film, which takes place mostly at "The Farm", to an extent is decent, even though there are some unlikely moments. The later half of the film, where Clayton is searching for the mole is full of typical Hollywood cliches and the secret of the film is nothing of a surprise.

Al Pacino is one the greatest actors of all time, and
he has an amusing time with his role as
recruiter/trainer of the CIA, Walter Burke. Colin
Farrell is going to be a huge start, and his
performance in this film proves that he has the
persona and presence of a strong actor like Russell
Crowe. Bridget Moynahan also gives a convincing
performance in the film as Clayton's fellow recruit
and love interest.

The Recruit is a very dry film that isn't awful, but
really isn't that entertaining either. The secrets
and actions of the film are all elements that have
been played out before in the spy-thriller genre.

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The Recruit (2003) review written by: Bailey Henderson