In the thriller, Colin Farrell plays a computer expert who is recruited by a veteran CIA operative played by Al Pacino. Through a series of intense training exercises, Farrell is soon unable to distinquish reality from the CIA tests.Farrell is an exciting, energetic talent, and while this particular part isn't exactly ripe with texture, he brings a lively bravado to the role. Pacino turns in yet another solid performance, and nearly every line of dialogue he utters, comes across as natural. What's most fun about his turn in The Recruit is how he toys with Farrell and the audience. We're never really sure whether he's bad or good until the very end of the movie, even though the obvious screenplay dictates the answer to that question relatively early on.
The Recruit was directed by Roger Donaldson who's made impressive thrillers before (see the engrossing Thirteen Days and the nail biter No Way Out). While I was entertained and enjoyed the quick pace of this movie, I was never completely won over because it was either a tad too predictable or just a little too over the top.
Overall, The Recruit was a fun time thanks mostly in part to two actors from different generations who really seem to relish playing off of each other. A similar dynamic was on display in A Few Good Men, as Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise went at each other with absolute ferocity. While The Recruit is certainly on a smaller scale, Pacino and Farrell make the most of what they have to work with.movie reviews, pda movies
