A definite Recruit for your DVD collection

Al Pacino still has it as he delivers another nicely done film of deception and corruption. The Recruit is a fairly good movie that has a plethora of twists, especially at the very end, and suspenseful scenes. The plot isn't that bad either, but, for some reason, the movie's enjoyment level drops tremendously about three quarters of the way through. The Recruit regains it's entertainment level at the end, where everything is unveiled and all the pieces of the puzzle are put together. Throughout this review, I will go over the plot/story-line, characters, and many of the positive and negative aspects of The Recruit. I will reveal the plot, but will do my best to not divulge any twists or surprises, and I will not even think about exposing a single aspect of the ending.

PLOT OVERVIEW

James Clayton, played by Colin Farrell, is a very smart MIT graduate who is on his way to an auspicious career working with computers and creating software. The movie begins with several ads, articles, and web sites that basically reveal that James’s father, Edward Clayton, was involved in a horrible plane crash and is presumed missing/dead. As the story develops, we learn that James is continually trying to discover his father's past and of his death. Walter Burke, performed by Al Pacino, makes his first appearance recruiting James for the CIA. As the movie progresses, Clayton goes through several preliminary background checks, interviews, and tests. Finally, he reaches the CIA training camp, titled "The Farm", and begins the heavy and intense training provided by CIA instructors, including Burke, with many other recruits. So far, so good. Interesting and engaging introduction that leaves plenty of room for suspense and discoveries. Anyhow, while Clayton is going through this rough process, a young, attractive female trainee catches his eye, Layla Moore, played by Bridget Moyahan, and from there he makes attempts to get closer to her. At first, Layla plays defense in the love game, as she brushes James off continually and concentrates on her work. This romance section actually gives The Recruit what little humor it has. Without a doubt, Layla and James become closer and where the film begins its twists and surprises.

I found the basic plot to be pretty appealing, Al Pacino's mysterious character gives a strange anticipation to the film, but more on this later. I really don't see any holes within the story-line, but as the movie continues, sure enough, holes are larger than those in our ozone layer. Again, I will discuss this in more detail later in this review.

CHARACTERS

James Clayton lost his father when he was nine years old and fervently attempted and still attempts to gain as much information as he can about his father's plane crash and overall history. James is also an outstanding student who apparently is a successful everything. James gets drawn into working for Burke, not by his passion for the CIA, but as another attempt to discover his father's past and follow his father's footsteps. This is how Burke lures him into joining the CIA, offering information on Edward Clayton. In addition, Farrell plays his character very well, as the emotions brought out from the painful intense training, and the feelings from the love affair are shown beautifully. Clayton is a young man that can do anything he desires, and this kind of attitude really sets in the anticipation that causes the viewer to await what happens next.

Walter Burke, as formerly stated, is a very mysterious character who always seems to be on a different level then all the other characters. Again, Al Pacino does a magnificent job playing Burke, unlike his contemporaries, Pacino hasn't lost his ability to give an excellent performance. More importantly, his role in The Recruit provides an unusual feeling as the movie progresses, where more and more little surprises pop up. Burke is a CIA agent who has been working for the organization for over twenty-five years, he is clever, manipulative, and persuasive. As he lures Clayton into joining by offering his friendship and becoming somewhat of a mentor to him, he also does a number on all the recruits during training and continually states, "Nothing is what it seems," which foreshadows a major twist in the film's ending. The games Burke plays that show exactly how manipulative he can be, and make The Recruit much more entertaining and engaging.

Layla Moore, performed by Bridget Moyahan, plays hard-to-get as Clayton makes several advances on her. She is focused, determined, and also a bit manipulative. The relationship between Layla and James is a key piece in the story-line as it connects all of the characters together and brings deception, romance, and manipulation. Moreover, deception is a large part in The Recruit, as first Layla deceives James, James then deceives Layla, and Burke has the final deception in the end (I know I said I was not going to say anything, but it's so obvious by now!). Layla plays a crucial role in the film and provides more surprises and twists.

HOLES, HOLES, AND MORE HOLES

This is what really hurts The Recruit, the many parts left out or unexplained. First off, let me explain that I have a bad habit of over-thinking movie plots and determining if some parts make little or no sense. The Recruit has as many holes as it does twists and surprises. I am only going to discuss a couple, for if I did more, than I would reveal many points of the ending. The first that bothers me is that the mystery of Edward Clayton is never fully revealed. Small parts are mentioned here and there, but then Burke states otherwise in the end, but then that is contradicted as well. There was one point that explains what James's father did, a star in a book the same year as his father dies, very, very "sketchy". Furthermore, during the inception, James is made an offer from Dell for his newly created software. After Burke enters the scene, this has completely vanished, except for one very minor part, but is pretty much never mentioned again. There are several other holes during the training, and towards the end where Layla becomes suspicious of James. I don't want to get too specific, but if you see the movie, then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

Despite the gray areas in The Recruit, it still is an above-average motion picture that is entertaining and interesting. The Recruit has my final recommendation, for with Al Pacino and Colin Farrell, it is a pretty enjoyable movie.


Run Time: 115 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13
For Violence, Sexuality, and Language

DVD Special Features:
-"Spy School: Inside the CIA Training Program"-Never before seen look inside the CIA
-Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary
-Feature Commentary with directer Roger Donaldson and Colin Farrell

Specifications:
-Director's original 1.77:1 aspect ratio shows more of the film than was presented in theaters
-Widescreen-Enhanced for 16x9 televisions
-DTS Digital Surround Sound
-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
-THX-certified
-Spanish subtitles
-French Language Track