James Clayton (Colin Farrell) has just graduated with honors from M.I.T. He’s smart, athletic and seems like the perfect candidate for the CIA. So, recruiter Walter Burke (Al Pacino) brings him to Langley, Virginia to see if he can make the cut.
When he arrives, Burke changes from a friend to something resembling an adversary. Constantly pushing his buttons, Burke tries to get the best out of James while making him understand that things aren’t always as they seem in the world of espionage. There are some key things to remember, according to Burke. Friendships are not necessarily to be trusted. There are no answers, only secrets. And, of course, the information obtained in the line of duty is always more important than the people it’s obtained by or from. James’ understanding of these pieces of advice will have to be tested. (It wouldn’t be much of a movie without a test.) Enter Layla (Bridget Moynahan), who attracts the attention of James from day one of training. She appears to be a CIA trainee like James. Burke, however, suspects she is a mole and assigns James to find out who she’s working for.
The Recruit is fast-paced, glossy entertainment with good-looking stars and a lot of neat technology. It doesn’t have anything on the James Bond series but it’s not supposed to. There are gadgets but the movie’s focus is more on the psychological aspects of espionage than the hardware. Helping the movie in that respect are fine performances from Pacino and Farrell. Bridget Moynahan, who some may remember as Ben Affleck’s girlfriend in The Sum of All Fears, is quite alluring as Layla.
If the movie has a big flaw it’s that — for an espionage flick — it’s too predictable. Still, for a night’s entertainment, you could certainly do much worse. The Recruit is a rental at best but keep your eye on Bridget Moynahan. I think she’s going places.
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
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