Cast: Al Pacino, Colin Farrell, Bridget Moynahan, Gabriel Macht
Director: Roger Donaldson
Producers: Jeff Apple, Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum
Screenplay: Roger Towne and Kurt Wimmer and Mitch Glazer
Cinematography: Stuart Dryburgh
Music: Klaus Badelt
U.S. Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
The ghost of Agatha Christie looms over this production; not since the late mystery writer's heyday has a villain felt so compelled to spill every detail of his plan while holding the protagonist at gunpoint. It's the kind of overt, inept contrivance that would doom an otherwise entertaining movie if it wasn't already headed in the wrong direction. There's nothing excessively problematical with The Recruit that excising the final fifteen minutes wouldn't cure. In a misguided attempt to provide a few too many twists and turns, Roger Donaldson's otherwise enjoyable thriller takes a detour into a sinkhole from which it never escapes.
The suddenly sizzling Colin Farrell, who seems to be everywhere these days, plays James Clayton, a hotshot computer expert whose "Spartacus" program has recruiters at a job fair salivating to get him on the payroll. But the one who snags James is Walter Burke (Al Pacino), a CIA operative. Lines like "I only have secrets" and veiled hints that James' dad worked for The Company are enough to convince him to submit to some time at "The Farm" – the CIA's equivalent of basic training. While there, he falls for an attractive co-recruit, Layla (Bridget Moynahan). Eventually, after performing exceptionally well in a number of exercises, James is selected to become a "noc" (non-official cover operative), and his first job is to root out a double agent.
Although The Recruit isn't Len Deighton or Robert Ludlum, it is enjoyable until the screenwriters develop a collective brain cramp. The big twist at the end is anything but surprising to anyone who has been paying attention, and it's as ridiculous as it is predictable. Until the final quarter-hour, I liked the movie enough to fervently hope the filmmakers weren't going to do what I expected them to do. Unfortunately, they did.
The best parts of The Recruit occur during the first half, as James endures The Farm. According to Walter, everything is a test, and it's intriguing to see how that simple statement influences James' reactions and perceptions. The sexual attraction between James and Layla is nicely developed. Al Pacino, who must have it written into his contract that his character gives at least one speech, pontificates about why people join the CIA. "It's not the money…sex… or fame," he notes. "It's because we believe." Listening to Walter talk, I could understand why someone might join The Company. He's a more convincing spokesperson for spydom than George Clooney in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.
The movie's big chase sequence is somewhat suspenseful, which is a refreshing change-of-pace. Donaldson, who is no stranger to thrillers (he directed Kevin Costner in No Way Out and a volcano in Dante's Peak), employs tight editing and a unique locale (the intestines of a train station) to prevent things from becoming boring. It's also kind of nice that there's no gunplay until the final half-hour, which means that the characters have to use something other than the business end of a bullet to make their points.
As James, Colin Farrell is convincing, if not superlative. He's an intense actor, but he really hasn't been challenged – his recent leap to stardom has involved him playing variations of the same individual. How different is James from the cop in Minority Report or the trapped man in Phone Booth? Pacino can do this kind of role without breaking a sweat. All he needs is to exude a little persuasive magnetism – a characteristic he possesses in abundance. Bridget Moynahan (Jack Ryan's girlfriend in The Sum of All Fears) is both a capable performer and a fresh face.
Those who don't mind deflating, cheesy endings will probably have a fun with The Recruit. It's not awful (especially for a January release), but it could easily have been much better. Screenwriters need to understand that audiences have become so accustomed to serpentine bends at the end of thrillers that the real way to surprise them is to play things straight. In the case of The Recruit, the movie twisted so hard that it sprained something, and limped across the finish line.
© 2003 James Berardinelli