There's a decent little thriller trying to break out of the messy tangled plotting and shallow, scenery-chewing character development that makes up much of "The Recruit."
In fact, if anything, the film's first hour — which examines CIA recruitment and training — should have been expanded. That subject is of particular current interest due to continuing concerns about the unsettled state of world affairs.
Unfortunately, the film instead winds its way into one of the most painfully obvious conclusions in recent cinematic history — one that was probably mandated as part of an actor's contract. More's the pity; the concept actually held some promise.
The title character is James Clayton (Colin Farrell), an MIT graduate who finds himself with plenty of options for employment after he devises revolutionary Webcast software.
Certainly the most intriguing offer comes from Walter Burke (Al Pacino), a veteran CIA trainer and "talent scout." James reluctantly accepts the offer, primarily because he hopes it will help him find some answers about his father's mysterious death decades earlier.
He's immediately taken to The Farm, the CIA's secret training facility. There, he meets beautiful fellow recruit Layla Moore (Bridget Moynahan) and quickly falls for her. However, Layla may not be who she appears to be — which becomes apparent when James' first assignment after graduation is to try to find out whether she's a "mole," working for another government.
The script-by-committee continually reminds you not to trust anything anyone says or does in the film. So when the all-too-inevitable conclusion rolls around, the audience already anticipates what it is. Still, director Roger Donaldson does sustain some tension and keeps things moving briskly. And Farrell and Moynahan do have some chemistry.
In addition to the predictable script, Pacino's another culprit here. While his performance is fairly subtle in the first half, his hammy tendencies go unchecked after that — and conclude with not one but two long-winded speeches that practically shriek for the mute button.
"The Recruit" is rated PG-13 for violence (gunplay, hand-to-hand combat, explosive mayhem and violence against women), occasional use of strong profanity (including one usage of the so-called "R-rated" curse word), an extended scene of torture, use of some crude slang terms and sexual discussions, a brief sex scene and brief gore. Running time: 115 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com