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01/31/03

1 hr. 45 mins.
Starring: Al Pacino, Colin Farrell, Bridget Moynahan, Gabriel Macht, Mike Realba, Dom Fiore
Directed by: Roger Donaldson

Rating: ** stars (out of 4 stars)

Hey, who says that the world can do without another needlessly generic action spy thriller? Whatever you do, please don’t convey this sentiment to filmmaker Roger Donaldson. On second thought, why not voice your dissatisfaction? Donaldson and his screenwriters Roger Towne, Kurt Wimmer and Mitch Glazer are much too talented to churn out another faceless espionage actioner in the form of the Al Pacino-Colin Farrell vehicle The Recruit. The handlers behind this rudimentary governmental thriller take a page out of the old Spy Game handbook by concocting a labored and familiar “season veteran schools hotshot upstart” formula. Sorry guys but we’ve been there and done that. The Recruiter does have some elements going for it that some moviegoers will chew up with delight: an arbitrary steamy romance, CIA-oriented jargon and jingoism, computer techno-babble and the typical climactic ending where audiences will be sure to telegraph its every move.

The major twists and turns are relentlessly predictable and register as sharply as being poked by a stick of margarine. From a technical standpoint, the movie is visually glossy and the intrigue may raise an eyelid once in a while. But with hollow characterizations and the perfunctory spy games mode that this flick demonstrates in clichéd fashion, The Recruit needs to undergo some more training from the Hollywood creativity department. Ultimately, there’s nothing that is skillfully top secret about Donaldson’s feisty look into the world of hush-hush federal missions. As a noted director who has helmed such government-issued gems such as Thirteen Days and No Way Out, Donaldson clearly has let his guard down with this boisterous but lackluster narrative that adds nary a distinctive edge to the played-out spy genre that has long since been overexposed on the big screen.

Oscar-winner and legendary tough guy Al Pacino assumes the role of gruff CIA recruiter Walter Burke, a no nonsense federal official who knows good stock when he sees it. The intended target that Burke hopes to corral into the ranks of the prestigious agency is the gifted but rebellious James Clayton (Colin Farrell), a computer whiz with both know-how and attitude. It appears that the cautious and cynical Burke is saddled with the volatile responsibility of disciplining the spontaneous and giddy Clayton in some sort of suspenseful attempt to cause a conflict of interest through their gradual bonding: veteran cynic vs. impulsive trainee, weary maturity vs. devilish youthfulness, old establishment vs. anti-establishment, etc. Although we get the idea of what a contrasting pair both Pacino’s Burke and Farrell’s Clayton make as an unconventional operative team, the writers unwisely beat us over the head with the protagonists’ personal ideology. If Burke isn’t uttering his tired phrase of “Trust no one” based on his built-in paranoia then Clayton is annoyingly mugging it up as the contemporary version of a disenchanted firearms-carrying James Dean complete with playful angst. Enough with the flimsy flourishes-we certainly get the picture!

Eventually, Burke convinces his prized charge to partake in the intense training ground known as “The Farm”, a brutal CIA boot camp where the agent-in-making will digest his resilient skills as a top-notch spy. And to ensure that Clayton’s heart is invested in this cloak and dagger routine and the vital connotations it entails, he’s told that his late father some ten years earlier was a dedicated CIA contact until he mysteriously lost his life in a South American plane crash. Gee, what a way to sell the virtues of securing a cocky cad as a gung-ho operative by telling him that his old man expired while doing the same undercover risky job? Way to go, Walter!

While at the rigorous training camp, Clayton cannot help but notice the appearance of a curvy recruit named Layla (Bridget Moynahan). The sexual sparks fly every which way but are very complicated by the fact that The Farm reinforces the notion of “being aware of your fellow comrades who may not be what they seem”. Hence, Clayton and Layla must both embrace and fight their sexual attraction for one another because of this lingering atmosphere of mistrust through instinctual fortitude. Meanwhile, the alienation grows stronger as Clayton has to endure the rivalry of the seemingly impeccable and competent Zack (Gabriel Macht). Of course Zack adds to the force-fed suspicious nature of Clayton’s that is being touted religiously at the facility.

The gimmicky paranoid preparations transcends into something more substantive for the bewildered recruits as they have to depart The Farm and prepare for the real-life experiences that await them at CIA headquarters. This puts the awkward spin on the characters (and the audience) as we’re all wondering what the ambiguous motives and agenda are for one of these so-called dedicated recruits. Who’s really on the up-and-up? Who’s rotten to the core? Who will exhibit the bravery or by seduced by betrayal? Quite frankly, one doesn’t need to be Carnac the Magnificent to see where the chips may fall in regards to the pending whodunnit inquiry.

The Recruit has the slick look of a nifty spy thriller with its stylish settings and sense of adventure through the movie’s crisp and vivid photography. The film occasionally finds its meaningful pulse when the antics at The Farm are in full throttle. The flirtation between Farrell and Moynahan is gradually passionate but since we know that their union is inevitable yet forbidden, the build-up of their lusty feelings for one another comes as no shock to us because we know the outcome and limitations of their pseudo-complicated relationship as carnal co-workers. The training session is somewhat noteworthy although fundamentally arbitrary since the script can’t decide what to do with these players other than have moviegoers engage in silly guessing games as to who is the resident bad apple that has infiltrated the walls of the CIA. Consequently, this is all recycled and guessable stuff here. This movie is like a Triple A road map to a dead end street in that you may stray in one wrong direction momentarily until you find the right way back on course where the final destination is uneventfully conclusive.

Pacino makes this one-dimensional role of the barking old-seasoned vet Walter Burke a passable joy because his take on this incomplete portrayal actually elevates the slight material he’s asked to spice up with his strangely comfortable stiffness. Farrell, on the other hand, doesn’t challenge his character enough for any of us to care. He’s supposed to be this tortured hellion who’s a pre-packaged pretty boy with brains and gumption. As James Clayton, Farrell does not quite fulfill the pomposity mode of a privileged protégé. Instead, he struts around looking like he’s on call for some Levi 501 jeans commercial. Farrell gets lost in the shuffle of Pacino’s shadow. With the sizzle of Moynahan as his fellow pillow-talking partner, he’s a keg of dynamite that I’m sure some of the ladies will appreciate hormonally. But when sized up with Pacino and the convoluted situational plots that call for his alter ego to liven up the proceedings, Farrell is a wet firecracker at best.

Overall, The Recruit is nothing more than a retread of countless movies we have all witnessed before. Whether invoking the buddy-buddy variation of its two celebrated lead male stars in the screen icon status of Pacino or the up-and-coming rise of the ruffled charismatic Farrell, the movie still manages to convey the suspenseful equivalent of picking which fist is actually hiding the coin in its grasp. Its only genuine consistency lies in the fact that it faithfully follows the traditional footsteps of a formulaic spy thriller that tries to incorporate a sideline romance subplot in a desperate move to entice sentimentality behind the dependable adage that “all is fair in love and war.”

If you’re willing to be recruited by this glorified political mumble jumble that is mildly palatable to some extent, then go ahead and enlist your services for this twitchy and tired high-maintenance spy suspense piece. But if you get caught up in the monotony of the hackneyed happenings, just remember to simply give your name, rank and serial number.