The Recruit (2003)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Roger Donaldson

Writers (WGA):

Roger Towne (written by) and
Kurt Wimmer (written by) ...

Release Date:

31 January 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

Trust. Betrayal. Deception. In the C.I.A. nothing is what it seems.

Plot:

A brilliant young CIA trainee is asked by his mentor to help find a mole in the Agency.

Plot Keywords:

CIA | Mole | Mentor | Spy | Product Placement

Awards:

2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Nov. 21

1:00 PM

TNT

Cast

Al Pacino	...	Walter Burke
Colin Farrell	...	James Douglas Clayton
Bridget Moynahan	...	Layla Moore
Gabriel Macht	...	Zack
Kenneth Mitchell	...	Alan (as Ken Mitchell)
Mike Realba	...	Ronnie Gibson
Ron Lea	...	Bill Rudolph, Dell Rep
Karl Pruner	...	Dennis Slayne
Jeanie Calleja	...	Co-Ed #1
Jenny Levine	...	Blonde with Cell Phone (as Jennifer Levine)
Angelo Tsarouchas	...	Cab Driver
Veronica Hurnick	...	Polygraph Interrogator (as Veronika Hurnik)
Eugene Lipinski	...	Husky Man
Mark Ellis	...	Test Instructor
Richard Fitzpatrick	...	Rob Stevens

Also Known As:

The Farm (USA) (working title)
La recrue (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Рекрут (Russia) [ru]
Çaylak (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Beavatás (Hungary) [hu]
Der Auftrag (Germany) (TV title) [de]
Der Einsatz (Germany) [de]
El discípulo (Argentina) [es]
Farma (Slovakia) [sk]
Ha-Shatool (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
La prueba (The Recruit) (Spain) [es]
La regola del sospetto (Italy) [it]
Le nouvel agent (Canada: French title) [fr]
O Novato (Brazil) [pt]
Recrutul (Romania) [ro]
Regrut (Serbia) [sr]
Rekrut (Poland) [pl]
Spioonitest (Estonia) [et]
Test (Czech Republic) [cs]
The recruit - agenttikokelas (Finland) [fi]
Uppdraget (Sweden) [sv]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, sexuality and language.

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Persian | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | Malaysia:U | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A (original rating) | UK:12 (video rating) | USA:PG-13 | Canada:A

Filming Locations:

Arlington, Virginia, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Colin Farrell states on the DVD audio commentary that while filming the scene in which he and Al Pacino's characters go to a restaurant, Al Pacino accidentally damaged the car they were riding in. The resulting damage can be clearly seen in the scene where Clayton and Burke pull up to the restaurant.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Clayton, following a suspect, jumps out of a train which is standing in the station onto the rails on the other side of the platform. A public train will only have its platform doors open, never the doors that give access to the other railway.

Quotes:

Physiatrist: How do upsetting problems generally make you feel?
James Clayton: Upset.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Sad Reflections

'Everything's a Test' but this one fails

The training scenes and all in the beginning gave the impression that the rest would make a decent thriller. The synopsis too adds to the viewers curiosity. However, it's just another predictable thriller with flawed writing, average performances and not-so-flattering direction. I thought Farrell's James Clayton was supposed to be highly intelligent but his actions and reactions say otherwise. Likewise for Pacino's Walter Burke. It even seems outdated (I mean the CIA's headquarters have no hard drive? come on!) and on top of that technology is a significant part of the film but it just looks poor and obsolete. All three of the main performers, that is, Al Pacino, Bridget Moynahan and Colin Farrell are merely passable (yes, Pacino does his trademark shouting in the end but this time it's funny, unintentionally). The screenplay doesn't have enough grit to keep one engaged and the premise is too familiar and unbelievable. Anyway, 'The Recruit' has nothing new to offer.