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The Recruit (2003)

thereviewers
May 23, 2015
2 min read

The Recruit is a spy thriller that sees James Clayton (Colin Farrell), one of the smartest college graduates in the country, being recruited by Walter Burke (Al Pacino) to join the CIA. When James Clayton excels at every task, Walter Burke singles him out to find a mole in the Agency. As the pressure builds, James can only count on two things - he can only trust himself and nothing is as it seems.

Overall Review Score

8 out of 10

Review

The Recruit is a 2003 action spy thriller that encapsulates its tag line – nothing is what it seems. The audience is thrown into the murky, secretive, and high-octane realm of the CIA that constantly changes throughout the film, which leaves the audience guessing who the enemy is and what are their motives. The Recruit constantly surprises with every plot twist and the tension, chemistry and the affection between Colin Farrell and Al Pacino is palpable. As the movie progresses the audience are left wondering whether or not James Clayton's father is really the star on the wall at Langley and are subjected to subtle mind games that ends the film with a memorable, which will leave them wondering how they could have missed the earlier clues. Overall, The Recruit takes the best of other notable spy franchises and blends them together in a fast paced, action packed, spy script that consumes the audience and causes them to question who should be trusted.

Reviewer 1's score & comments:

Score: 8 out of 10

Comments:

The Recruit is a 110-minute feature that combines a montage of intelligence tradecraft, a compelling and immersive story, some well developed characters and produces an action-packed thriller. Both Al Pacino and Colin Farrell deliver strong performances but it is the film's startling plot twists and dramatic finale that sets it apart from the rest.

Reviewer 2's score & comments:

Score: 8 out of 10

Comments:

The Recruit is an action film with a difference. The decision to base the film partly at The Farm, the CIA's training facility, and partly at Langley, the CIA’s headquarters, is a great concept that helps create a natural tension in the film, which supports the main concept that the world is not black and white but an ambiguous grey, where everything is not always as it seems. Colin Farrell and Al Pacino feed off each other, while the supporting cast serve up a masterclass in tradecraft that helps to build momentum which effortlessly propels the movie from one plot twist to the next. Overall, The Recruit is an action thriller that is so good audiences will want to watch it time and time again.