The Recruit

Starring: Al Pacino, Colin Farrell, Bridget Moynahan, Gabriel Macht, Kenneth Mitchell
Directed by: Roger Donaldson
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Drama
2003

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A brilliant young man (Colin Farrell) is recruited to the CIA, although once in training, he learns that nothing is as it seems.

Review:

Tim: The Recruit is an action movie that I really enjoy. I feel like these kinds of movies were made so exceptionally well during the 1990s, but there are less and less of them in the 2000s. This film doesn't try to be anything other than a fun action drama with a good deal of espionage and a few twists and turns thrown in. It's not a perfect movie, but it's really enjoyable, and I'm definitely a fan.

I love how the film shows us the CIA recruiting process (or what it would be in this fictional movie). It's fascinating to think about the type of people who are recruited, and what the training might be like. The early scenes are some of the best and the most powerful. I love watching all these brilliant alphas competing against each other and trying to prove their worth to the CIA higher ups. These scenes are just so interesting to me.

The film is also helped by a very good cast. Al Pacino was definitely the right choice for this role- a mysterious CIA recruiter who is very experienced, but puzzling enough that you can't quite figure him out. One minute, he's very caring, another, cold and calculating. It's a performance that is easy to overlook, but it's a solid turn from Pacino. I loved the casting of Colin Farrell here. Farrell is perfect for this part. He's able to play the brilliant computer whiz believably, but he's also athletic enough to be convincing as an individual the CIA would actually want to recruit. It was fun to see Pacino and Farrell playing off each other, and that dynamic is one of the best of the film.

The supporting cast is good, too. Bridget Moynahan gives a good (but not great) performance as a fellow trainee, one whom Farrell grows close with. Gabriel Macht is well cast as Farrell's competition. The cast is really made up of these four characters, but it works exceptionally well for this movie.

I also liked the film's twists and turns. We're told that in the CIA, nothing is as it seems. The film tries hard to make this come across on the screen, and it mostly succeeds. The story keeps you guessing until the end. Now, this isn't to say that the story is flaw-free. The backstory of Farrell's character is a bit muddled and it never really makes a great deal of sense. There's also a plot towards the end that is hinted at, but never fully explained in any satisfying way. This creates a bit of a disjointed feel while watching the movie.

Still, The Recruit is an enjoyable action film. It features a good cast, and has enough twists and turns to keep the audience interested. It balances out its more cliched scenes with some legitimately strong ones. I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed this film.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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