‘The Recruit’
deserves a demotion

James Clayton (Colin Farrell) is a computer programmer with a degree in cryptology who is one day confronted by Walter Burke (Al Pacino), a CIA senior instructor and recruiter who seemingly knows more about James than he does. Burke says that Clayton shows promise if he were to train for the CIA—and as a little incentive, perhaps James could learn a little about his father who went missing years ago. While at the training facility known as “The Farm,” Clayton meets Layla (Bridget Moynahan), an attractive young trainee who grabs his interest. However, the training regiment is brutal—and soon James cracks under the pressure and is seemingly booted from training. However, Burke is quick to bring him back as a real CIA operative. His first mission is to trail a mole in the agency that may have a deadly computer virus that could shut down the world—and the mole is Layla.

“Nothing is what it seems” is the major topic of this film. Now imagine this theme, pounded into your head at every available moment. That is what watching “The Recruit” feels like. It’s not the fact that there are lots of twists and turns, which can work to a movie’s favor—it’s just that the twists and turns are alternately predictable and confusing, and a good lot of everything else will bore you to tears. With stale car chases and false drama, it’s just another case of the same old song and dance.

However, there are a few bright spots in the screenplay, a few witty little remarks peppered throughout the movie, things that will make you sit up in attention. Unfortunately, these are few and far between; it’s as if the screenwriter decided to throw the audience a few bones to relieve himself of the boredom of writing the script.

If there’s one reason to even bother watching “The Recruit,” it’s Al Pacino. This still-great actor gives a Grade-A performance, despite the mediocre script he works with. Often, while we are watching the mostly unengaging Colin Farrell and Bridget Moynahan, we are preoccupied with wondering when Al Pacino is going to appear again.

Overall, “The Recruit” is just another routine flick manufactured from Hollywood’s stale thriller factory. It’s certainly not a horrendous movie, but if you’re caught in a theater playing it, you may find yourself ignoring the plot, and thinking of all the ways you could have spent the last two hours of your life.