The Recruit
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Movie Reviews of The Recruit
Movie Review: Actioner-packed mind-messer
Summary: 5 Stars
The Recruit was another one of those films (like Minority Report) that I was not expecting great things of. Roger Donaldson has gone and made one of those twisty-turny films that David Mamet (The Spanish Prisoner, House of Games) is so well-known for, except Donaldson has set his in a world of action, giving us the best of both worlds--a workout of brain and nerves. The Recruit stars Al Pacino and Colin Farrell as a CIA agent and his recruit, respectively. Pacino gives one of his more subtle recent performances, but Farrell carries the show. His James Clayton is a distraught, ambitious rebel who doesn't belong in the CIA, and is therefore so perfect for the job.
The games begin early on as we find out quickly that "nothing is as it seems." During CIA training, everything is a test, which we find out in myriad ways. These could have easily turned obvious, and had I attempted to pick them out (a few, I did), I believe I could have easily done so. But, although I am a reviewer, I am a fan first and, having come to be entertained, I let The Recruit sweep me away with its labyrinthine plot, engrossed by Clayton's plights and his ability to be fooled. Not an idiot by any means, Farrell shows Clayton's realistic gullibility, especially when confronted by love in the form of Layla (Bridgette Moynahan), who may or may not be a double agent.
Donaldson keeps the pacing and the guessing at top speed as events constantly become more and more complex, raising questions as to who can be trusted, what is real, and what is still simply a test. It's not hard to follow, but you need to pay attention; the clues are prominently placed, but we aren't knocked over the head with them. The Recruit is certainly one of the better recent action films and is also a terrific mindgame thriller. Fans of any and all will definitely find their own niche in this film. Get Recruit-ed and have some fun.
Movie Review: Great View of the CIA!
Summary: 5 Stars
This film seems very well researched, seeing as a former Directorate of Operations operative now public relations employee Chase Brandon, whom usually consults on authentic CIA portrals in hollywood movies such as Bad Company, Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy, etc. Although Chase has said in a DVD feature about certain aspects of the CIA not being acknowledged or not true, I would bet the techniques of combat that are brief in the film are authentic as well as disguising NOC agents through deceptive methods and the plot is mostly made up since I would suspect that the senior and / or higher ranking officers of the CIA would know of conflicting missions, even though to lower employees, the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. This is the suspense in the movie that I will not spoil.
I loved the movie, even though I didn't really like Al Pacino's character, Walter Burke. However, I felt that this should have been a movie that introduced us to the main characters like the first X-Men movie and felt it needed to continue with sequels. It almost like they were setting up James Clayton, Colin Farrell's character, as one recruit that was destined to do great things after this movie's plot was done. Plus, James Clayton has to be paired with Layla Moore, Bridget Moynahan's character, to help in these great tasks. Zack, Gabriel Macht's character, I loved and wished that his character continues on. I also loved Karl Pruner's character, Dennis Slayne, which I thought all the more hinted at a sequel by his character being James Clayton's new mentor.
If those who produced the movie are reading this, PLEASE do the sequel if there is one. What is it called, "The Agent"? "The Operative?" "The NOC?"
Movie Review: "Nothing is what it seems"
Summary: 5 Stars
The first time I saw Kurt Wimmer's writing work was in the movie Equilibrium that came out last year on a limited release. This time around, the work is even better! This film is full of twists and turns, taking what Al Pacino says as the CIA being a "game" couldn't be farther from the truth.Colin Farrell plays the excellent job of a new recruit to the CIA as scouted by Pacino. His father has a history with the CIA working on mission with Shell Oil, however, he passed away we learn in the opening credits via some news articles. With interest in joining, Farrell goes into bootcamp for the "farm" as they call it to learn the trades of what's going on. Here, he meets the wonderful Bridget Moynehan and see their interests blossom even though they're in a tightly-overseen environment. They want to get to know one another but can't for the longest time.
Pacino puts Farrell to the test through several missions of which I really don't want to share because I don't want to give away spoilers. Each mission goes farther and farther until you start to wonder yourself what is a real mission and what isn't. You'll understand as the film climaxes but be sure there's plenty of twists and turns all the way to the end to keep you guessing!
The action is intense, the dialogue is real, the storylines are completed. This really is a great film on many levels and will appeal to many different movie-going viewers I think. It's smart, a hint of sexiness, and the flow is smooth and quick to keep you on your toes the entire time. The plot covers some realistic topics. There's no CGI-flavored scenes and unbelievable stunts...this is just good dramatic filmmaking.
Certainly enjoyed it and will have to add this to the DVD collection!
Movie Review: A Bevy Of Twists/Turns
Summary: 5 Stars
As a fan of the action/thriller genre, I have seen my share of this fare. "The Recruit" occupies a spot near the top of my list due to its fast-moving plot and bevy of twists/turns.
The basic plot of this film focuses on a fresh crop of CIA wannabes. One cadet in particular (Colin Farrell) catches the eye of the lead instructor (Al Pacino), and is given a top-secret assignment far beyond his supposed experience level. From there, the stakes only continue to escalate as the cadet struggles to complete his mission.
The hallmark of this movie is that just when you think you have a bead on it, it throws you another curveball. Some of the other Amazon reviewers have commented that the plot twists seemed predictable or inconsistent, but I couldn't disagree more. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire film and never felt cheated or jerked around.
The acting is also sound all around. Pacino may be kind of a nut, but he sure can act (he almost steals the show in this case). Farrell is adept as the young cadet who wants something more than a 9-5 employment. Bridget Moynahan also turns in a good performance as a potential love interest for Farrell's character.
Thus, I highly recommend "The Recruit" to any and all fans of action/thrillers. The acting is good enough to suck you in, while the hairpin-turn plot twists will keep you guessing until the very end.
Movie Review: Now this is what spy films should be like!
Summary: 5 Stars
When James Clayton (Colin Farrell) is recruited into the CIA by a mysterious agent, Walter Burke (Al Pacino), he is quickly thrust into a world where deceit and manipulation are the only two constants -- a fact that is reinforced constantly at the Agency's training center aka "The Farm".Clayton proves himself to be an exceptional trainee and catches the attention of his instructors but none moreso than Walter Burke, the head instructor and man with decades of experience in the field. Clayton is officially pulled from the program but later learns that he has been assigned to deep cover clandestine operations -- the first being to track down a mole within his own training class.
Plucked from training where "everything is a test", Clayton soon finds himself in the shadowy world where everyone is a potential mark and nothing is as it seems -- a world in which the "mark" really depends on whose side you're on. Spy versus spy versus spy.
Without a doubt, "The Recruit" is not only one of the best films I've seen in awhile, but one of the best spy thrillers I've ever seen. Both "Spy Game" and "The Bourne Identity" are movies I had great things to say about, but this movie takes it to a new level. I see a lot of movies, and many of them are great, but this is one of the few movies after which I left the theater feeling like I had just come off one of the best rides in the world.