The Recruit (2003)

Angelina Jolie's CIA thriller Salt opens today, and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing it. Hollywood's favorite (possibly psychotic) bad girl playing a badass (possibly Soviet) super spy? And parts of it were filmed in my hometown?? Yes, please. But I haven't seen Salt yet, so I cannot comment on it. I hope it doesn't disappoint. Now on to something I have seen...

James Clayton: "Would I have to kill anyone?"

Walter Burke: "Would you want to?"

The last time Salt's writer, Kurt Wimmer, worked on a script involving the Central Intelligence Agency, it was for 2003's The Recruit. Hollywood's favorite bad-boy-of-the-moment at that time (is there a pattern here?) was Colin Farrell, who plays James Clayton, a part-time bartender who also happens to be a genius super-hacker. Clayton, who sports a permanent 5 o'clock shadow and a rebellious anti-nerd personality, is about to graduate from college and is being scouted by some top private sector companies. Things get interesting when he is approached by a recruiter of a different type: Walter Burke, played by Al Pacino, a talent scout for the CIA and a self-proclaimed "scary judge of talent". Clayton's desire for a life less ordinary, and what he sees as an opportunity to explore lingering questions about his father's disappearance years earlier, lead him to accept Burke's invitation to join the CIA.

The Recruit is not the most original film, and the audience will see through many of the twists and turns involved in the plot, but overall it is an entertaining ride. What really sets it apart is the exploration of the CIA's recruiting and training process. When Clayton begins his training, we are introduced to "The Farm", a top-secret facility where civilians are transformed into spies. The inside look at how recruits learn fieldcraft, practice with weapons and gadgets, and are trained to see details that others ignore is truly fascinating. Above all, their fundamental mindset is transformed as they are conditioned to "trust no one". As Clayton gets deeper into the Agency, the film does a good job of creating that feeling of uncertainty and paranoia that comes from the inability to trust the people closest to you.

Farrell fits his role well and Pacino is... well... Pacino. His character may seem a bit too familiar if you've seen Donnie Brasco or Scent of a Woman or pretty much anything else he's done in the last couple decades, but I can't complain about seeing Pacino throw himself into any role. The guy is just plain fun to watch. The other main character in the film, Layla Moore, is one of Clayton's classmates at "The Farm" and the film's ubiquitous romantic interest. Layla is deftly played by the beautiful and terribly underrated Bridget Moynahan in what has probably been her best role (and most screen time) to date. Layla is an essential piece of the puzzle in this psychological thriller, but, as with all of the characters, she's not to be trusted.

The Recruit opened to mixed reviews, pulled in a disappointing box office total, and I find a lot of people haven't seen it or even heard of it. All of which make it a prime candidate for one of my recommendations. It's not one of the Best Movies I've Ever Seen, but in my opinion (and that's all this blog is), the 6.5/10 rating on IMDb falls a bit short of the film's real entertainment value. Solid performances, good dialogue, an interesting plot (if you don't analyze too much), and a rare look at the inner workings of the Central Intelligence Agency make it worth watching.

115 minutes
Rated PG-13 for violence, sexuality, and language


*in my next post, I'll try not to use so many parentheses