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“The Recruit,” an intense film about the inner workings of the CIA, graces Spotlight Cinemas at a time when the safety and protection of our nation and its people is something on everyone’s mind.
The film allows its viewers to visit every aspect of this organization, or an alleged version of it, depicting everything from the intense training of its members to the complicated webs of deceit that occur within the agency.
Al Pacino plays Walter Burke, the senior CIA instructor who is responsible for the recruitment of James Clayton, an MIT graduate who has CIA success in his blood. Pacino is made for this role and he nails it. The character is uncouth, grizzled and witty, and proves to be slightly insane as the movie comes to an end.
Colin Farrell, who takes on the role of Clayton the recruit, is also a perfect fit. The film is packed with intense moments, many of which are made as such due to Farrell’s flawless acting. This Irish actor also gets extra points for never once faltering and lapsing into his strong brogue.
Burke hunts down Clayton and convinces him to enter training for the CIA, which Clayton reluctantly concedes to do. Training takes place at headquarters dubbed “The Farm,” where the recruits learn how to do everything from successfully bugging to effortlessly killing anyone who gets in their way.
While in training Clayton meets Layla, played by Bridget Moynahan. However, just as the two start to become close, Clayton is deemed to be unfit for the CIA and is dismissed … or is he? Days later, Burke informs him that he has been chosen for the most important mission of them all, the catch being that he will be working against his prospective lover.
What makes this movie stand out from the rest is its lack of predictability. The mantra that is constantly repeated to the CIA’s in training is “Nothing is what it seems.” This proves to be true or the complex plot of “The Recruit.” Be it in the training exercises at the Farm or the true nature of Clayton’s first assignment, the viewer is constantly being hit with jaw-dropping twists.
It is in these efforts of complexity that the movie suffers its few flaws. The ending is much weaker than the beginning, as suspense leads to confusion. Luckily, with the help of one’s fellow movie-goers, most will be able to successfully understand and enjoy this movie.
“The Recruit” is by no means a comedy and refrains from dropping the typical, predictable one-liners that are so common. There is however, a prominently placed sign in one scene that points the way to a place christened “The George W. Bush Center for Intelligence.” Whether the viewer finds this humorous is entirely subjective, however it is clear that this “prop” was intentional.
This subtle instead of blatant attempt at comedy is just one of the many aspects of “The Recruit” that makes it worth seeing. I give it four out of five Junior Mints.
Bangor Daily News