Rating- * * * * (4/5)
Here’s an interesting little gem from earlier this year. It did pretty well at the box office but I didn’t catch it until now due to the big Oscar rush. It was also the first movie in Colin Farrell’s sudden blitz of hit films this year that included Daredevil and Phone Booth. As common as spy movies have become these days, it’s a pleasant surprise to find one that bothers to develop its characters and have a story that builds slowly rather than one that tries its hardest to confuse the hell out of you. The plot, while extremely intriguing, is rather simple and not nearly as convoluted as your average spy thriller. Collin Farrell stars as James Clayton, a young computer programmer at MIT. James’ father worked for the CIA and died in action when James was a child. Obviously, the government denies ever having even known about James’ father but James knows that the truth is somewhere inside the halls of the Pentagon. When James creates a revolutionary computer program, he attracts the attention of a CIA recruiter by the name of Walter Burke (Al Pacino) who tempts James with the prospect of finding information about his father. James decides to enter the program and meets a beautiful woman named Layla (Bridget Moynahan) who he quickly takes a liking to. James does extremely well at the CIA training camp and is recruited to be one of the elite embedded agents. His first mission proves to be rather difficult when he’s told by Burke that Layla is actually a mole and is trying to steal vital information from the Pentagon that could destroy national security. I won’t say anymore because the rest of the film is one revelation after another and, as the film constantly reminds us, “nothing is what it seems.” It sounds cliché but the story revelations are actually quite intriguing and not at all absurd like they could be. While this clever thriller is certainly very story driven, there are some good performances that enhance the experience for us as well. Pacino stands out, as he always does, as the most interesting person on screen and steals any scene he’s a part of. Colin Farrell really takes charge in this film and is quite a convincing protagonist. This was his proving ground for his leading man abilities and he proves himself quite capable. Also noteworthy is Bridget Moynahan who is absolutely gorgeous in this movie and is talented enough to play a part that can appear ambiguous enough to be believable by two different audiences, the first time viewers and the repeat viewers. She is quite talented and I expect we will see her face again quite soon. All in all, this movie is nothing spectacular but it’s certainly worth your time if it’s something that’s in your ballpark. If you’re looking for intrigue, turnabout and espionage you certainly won’t be disappointed here and there’s even a good dash of romance thrown in the mix. I can definitely recommend The Recruit as a smart, suspenseful thriller with oodles of talent on display and a great kick of an ending.