Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Fresh and Exciting

best movie i've ever seen.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

This was definitely a more interesting and enjoyable movie for me because I went into it knowing absolutely nothing about it. Perhaps if I had known what to expect out of it, the reveals and mysteries that evolved throughout the story would have had less of an impact on me. What I really liked about it was that it didn't try to do too much in being a big action movie. There is an action sequence at the end, but for the most part it's a spy drama that just feels more like an action movie and advertised itself as an action movie. There were some things that I thought were done very effectively and others that weren't so much. The way that I was able to stay on exactly the same page as James throughout was remarkable. Even at Walter Burke's warning that "everything is a test" and "nothing is what it seems", when James put his guard down or believed Burke, so did I. James was also a good overall character with a lot more personality than a lot of protagonists in similar roles. One would expect him to be more like a Tom Cruise hero, but instead he is more cynical and therefore easier to root for. The story also used its unpredictability to its advantage and kept me guessing throughout. The spy training sequences were good-- not too sensationalized, but entertaining to watch while staying within the boundaries of reality.On the downside, the twists got a little old by the end and made the climax dramatically un-satisfying. The incorporation of James' father as part of his motivation for joining the CIA was also rather sloppy and didn't really contribute much to the overall story. Bridget Moynahan gave a flat performance for the most part, although it was a step up from her role in I, Robot. Al Pacino at least played a more colorful role, but I disliked his performance. The use of the lie detector as a device was a shaky choice. In some ways it made for interesting drama, but then again, there's something lacking when the characters know for sure if the other is lying. Overall, I saw some things here that I think lots of modern movies would do well to emulate. The plot of this movie, while not fabulous, was good enough that I was interested in it the entire way through and this was accomplished without any large scale action. The story was also riddled with turns, but easy to follow as well. Collin Farrell gave a solid performance that showed some good versatility. So if you're interested in seeing this, go in with low expectations and you might find it enjoyable. On a final note, this is a good movie to watch if you're an aspiring screenwriter looking to write spec scripts. Overall Rating: 8/10.

This movie really arouses my temptation of becoming a spy, it shows how the CIA trains its agents, very realistic and fantastic. Let the intelligence agency reveals its secret vain. And James Clayton, this young boy is really very smart and patriotic. He is unlike James Bond, he can make faults, just like normal people, but eventually he figures out everything right. Layla is innocent, but Berke, his recruiter, is really the mole, the double agent. I really appreciate the talent of the writer, and also thanks to the CIA for co-operating the film making. I really do hope some Chinese spy thriller films can be like this one.

The Recruit (2003): Dir: Roger Donaldson / Cast: Colin Farrell, Al Pacino, Bridget Moynahan, Gabriel Macht, Kenneth Mitchell: Total mind game where viewers are sent through the same sort of manipulation as the hero. The title seems to suggest recuperation of our past. Colin Farrell seeks answers regarding his father who was a C.I.A. agent who died in 1990. An encounter with Al Pacino has him asking more questions but instead he is trained as a C.I.A. agent. He assigns Farrell to find out who a fellow trainee is working for and from there he is led deceit, betrayal and near death situations. Setup gives backgrounds then the screenplay delivers numerous effective plot twists until unveiling a mindless conventional climax. Directed by Roger Donaldson after having directed such crap as Species and Dante's Peak. Farrell presents emotional confusion and frustration as he is sucked into the past. He survives out of luck and intellect. Pacino succeeds as a connection to the past who tests Farrell for a mission that will reveal certain people as something other than what they are presenting. Bridget Moynahan makes a great impression as a female recruit whom Farrell is ordered to follow. The romantic elements are obvious. Gabriel Macht is too brief as a trainee, and other roles are pretty much standard issue for this sort of film. Plays like an episodic crime show and that's not a compliment. Score: 5 ½ / 10

And it's true the movie could in theory have had a more sophisticated (ambiguous) ending, but there comes a time, after wading through all the trollop on the market, that one just sinks back and decides to enjoy a better movie for all it's worth.And this is such a movie: directed by the capable Roger Donaldson who directed the taut thriller No Way Out and co-authored by a writer on The Natural, this one keeps going at a brisk pace with excellent editing and super soundtrack from Klaus Badelt of POTC1 fame. Farrell - who actually comes off smaller than life what with all the tripe written about him, and that's not a bad thing - and former fashion model Moynahan make the sparks fly. You feel for the protagonists and that's an essential ingredient of any good movie.But Pacino: he's great at whatever he does but is he fated to have secondary roles now? Bah.There's a bit of a 'Spy Game' feel to things but there's no shameless copying going on. There just aren't many movies in this genre. And Spy Game doesn't have the thrill and suspense this one has. Yes, you might eventually figure everything out before the denouement, but you won't be upset. And odds are you won't figure everything out anyway - some yes; all of it - no.As for that ending: some people would perhaps prefer more ambiguity. On several planes. Others would say the ending is ambiguous enough. At least on one plane, perhaps several.Nothing is what it seems.