Genre: Thriller, Police, Spy, Kidnapping, Murder, Suspense, Cult Classic
Tagline: Trust. Betrayal. Deception. In the C.I.A. nothing is what it seems.
Plot: For the first time, the CIA’s infamous closed doors are opened, giving an insider’s view into the Agency: how trainees are recruited, how they are prepared for the spy game, and what they learn to survive. James Clayton (Colin Farrell) might not have the attitude of a typical recruit, but he is one of the smartest graduating seniors in the country – and he’s just the person that Walter Burke (AL PACINO) wants in the Agency. James regards the CIA’s mission as an intriguing alternative to an ordinary life, but before he becomes an Ops Officer, James has to survive the Agency’s secret training ground, where green recruits are molded into seasoned veterans. As Burke teaches him the ropes and the rules of the game, James quickly rises through the ranks and falls for Layla (BRIDGET MOYNAHAN), one of his fellow recruits. But just when James starts to question his role and his cat-and-mouse relationship with his mentor, Burke taps him for a special assignment to root out a mole. As the suspense builds toward a gripping climax, it soon becomes clear that the CIA’s old maxims are true: “trust no one” and “nothing is what it
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 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.  --James Berardinelli (ReelViews)
Nothing is what it seems -- especially Al Pacino's jazzy, freewheeling performance -- in this preposterous CIA thriller.--Stephanie Zacharek (Salon)
It's the kind of movie you can sit back and enjoy, as long as you don't make the mistake of thinking too much. --Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times)
When I see a movie like "The Recruit," I wonder: Who wanted to make this thing? It's not bad, but it's not good, either. It's nothing but style and noise, threadbare of content, empty of ideas. Is it anything? Not really.--Stephen Hunter (Washington Post)
Plot conscious, smart, and suspenseful B+--Craig Younkin (Lee's Movie Info)
It was an interesting film, full of plot twists and turns, but it was a little too predictable in the end. 7/10--Dick Douglas (Movie-Vault.com)
So, while the training sequences are surprisingly exciting and involving, the remainder of The Recruit is a tremendous letdown.  --David Nusair (Reel Film Reviews)
durable Hollywood hack, Roger Donaldson chugs out a watchable, join-the-dots thriller in "The Recruit" - a picture which amiably passes time, without grabbing your attention.  --Nev Pierce (BBC Films)
Doesn’t know how to finish in a satisfying fashion, thus dragging the rest of the film down with its conclusion. 70/100--Ryan Cracknell (Apollo Guide)
Ridiculous, laughable, intelligence-insulting “thriller” that’s only enjoyable on a ‘so bad it’s almost good’ level – Farrell has charisma to spare but it’s not enough to save this.  --Matthew Turner (ViewLondon)
By the end of the film, these are the thoughts that will be occupying your mind, because The Recruit will have stopped playing fair by then. It's a shame, because it could have been a much better movie. But, unfortunately, Al Pacino can only play one character at a time. B---Larry Carroll (CountingDown)
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| Written by |
Roger Towne
The Natural, In the Company of Spies, Hawaii Five-0 | |
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| Cast |
Al Pacino
The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II, Heat |
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 | Gabriel Macht
Behind Enemy Lines, Bad Company, A Love Song for Bobby Long |
 | Ron Lea
A Home at the End of the World, A Map of the World, Criminal Law |
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 | Jessica Greco
Assault on Precinct 13, Treed Murray, The Stalking of Laurie Show |
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[more] |
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| Music By |
Klaus Badelt
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Constantine, Equilibrium |
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| Never quite as unpredictable as it aspires to be, but Farrell's performance and Pacino's presence pulls it above the average. 7/10 --Gary Panton (Movie Gazette)
For the most part, "The Recruit" is a taut drama involving CIA recruit-in-training James Clayton and his recruiter, Walter Burke. But it eventually trips over its own plot twists and can't quite shake its predictability.--Paul Clinton (CNN Showbiz)
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