Arts & Entertainment

The Recruit puts actors and audience to the test

By Jamie Wells
The Daily Cougar

If you are in the mood for a couple of mind-bending twists then check out The Recruit. The Recruit stars Al Pacino, Colin Farrell, and Bridget Moynahan. The movie is directed by Roger Donaldson and opens this Friday in theatres nationwide.

In an era when the countryis first line of defense, human intelligence, is more vital than ever, comes an explosive thriller that gives an insideris view into the CIAis secret training ground: The Farm.

James Clayton (Colin Farrell) doesnit have the attitude of a typical recruit, but he is one of the smartest graduating seniors from MIT. Not only is he the smartest senior at MIT, but heis just the person that Walter Burke (Al Pacino) wants in the Agency. 

But before he becomes an Ops Officer, James has to survive the Farm, where the veteran Burke teaches him and the other trainees the ropes and rules of the game. James rapidly rises through the ranks of the other recruits. James soon finds himself falling for Layla (Bridget Moynahan), one of his fellow recruits. Just when James starts to question his role and is forced to "wash out," (become discharged from The Farm). Burke taps him for a special assignment to root out a mole. James finds himself in way over his head amidst the long gloom the CIA calls home.

As the suspense builds toward a gripping climax, it soon becomes clear that at The Farm, the CIAis old maxims are true: "trust no one" and "nothing is as it seems" and that "everything is a test."

The Recruit has a very similar plot structure to last years Training Day, but it has more excitement. The reason itis so much more exciting is the fact that the characters in the film donit know what is real and what is not, and the audience is just as clueless.

What we have is a young and really naive trainee who is under the wing of a grizzled veteran, who makes it his task to test out the strength of the young recruit.

It is very hard to watch sometimes because Clayton is the smartest and best recruit, but he is constantly being tested. In fact he is tested a lot more than any of the other recruits on The Farm.

Colin Farrell does a good job considering the character he plays, but at times he seems a little two-dimensional. Al Pacino plays the experienced CIA vet who's done it all, seen it all and is a master manipulator. Burke always seems to be one step ahead, and he knows exactly just how far he can push a person.a This isnit Oscar material for the movie or either actor, but it is entertaining. It keeps the audience guessing and wanting more. The audience walks out not knowing what was a test and what wasnit. 

The Recruit

Starring: Al Pacino and Colin Ferrall

 The verdict: Entertaining and Mind-Boggling.

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