Better Late Then Never

A Brilliant Conflict

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Blistering performances.

Pretty bad film. Predictable plot line, obvious from the beginning. Sorry I wasted my time even though Colin Farrell was nice to look at. I'm surprised Al Pacino agreed to do this movie. He is much better than he showed in the movie. Maybe it was terrible directing or maybe a poor script. It's hard to say; but now I know why I had never heard of it. Thank god I didn't have to pay to see it. Lol

As a fan of the action/thriller genre, I have seen my share of this fare. "The Recruit" occupies a spot near the top of my list due to its fast-moving plot and bevy of twists/turns.The basic plot of this film focuses on a fresh crop of CIA wannabes. One cadet in particular (Colin Farrell) catches the eye of the lead instructor (Al Pacino), and is given a top-secret assignment far beyond his supposed experience level. From there, the stakes only continue to escalate as the cadet struggles to complete his mission.The hallmark of this movie is that just when you think you have a bead on it, it throws you another curveball. Some of the other Amazon reviewers have commented that the plot twists seemed predictable or inconsistent, but I couldn't disagree more. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire film and never felt cheated or jerked around.The acting is also sound all around. Pacino may be kind of a nut, but he sure can act (he almost steals the show in this case). Farrell is adept as the young cadet who wants something more than a 9-5 employment. Bridget Moynahan also turns in a good performance as a potential love interest for Farrell's character.Thus, I highly recommend "The Recruit" to any and all fans of action/thrillers. The acting is good enough to suck you in, while the hairpin-turn plot twists will keep you guessing until the very end.

This one went under my radar in 2003, but I finally caught up on it the other day. And I must admit it was a pleasure to watch. I enjoy a good spy thriller, and this is up there among them.I saw it was a Roger Donaldson flick, and that's enough fir me. He's made some really decent movies, like "No way out", "The world's fastest Indian", "Thirteen days", "The bank job", "Cocktail", "The getaway". He's on the game.A young man, James Clayton (Colin Farrell) is targeted as a new CIA recruit by old CIA veteran Walter Burke (Al Pacino), which lures him interested because of his longing to know more about his long lost dad. Going through the training, he learns a lot, and seems to be one of the best, but will he succeed in becoming an agent? Will he succeed in finding out more about his father?What I like in particular here is the inventiveness which goes behind the CIA. I know it's not facts, but still I like the way it's told. The acting is plausible, yet there's some of the script hare which could have.been better. The film uses so much time in establishing the the recruitment, that the ending story is not that established. However it still a great thriller, which gives you enough to chew on.The main thing with a thriller like this, is to thrill, and this does, plenty. Al Pacino is good, Colin Farrell too, so are he rest. A good spy thriller, and a good thrill and fine entertainment.

This isn't a senseless spy action movie ("à la" James Bond) but rather a very enjoyable psycho-thriller. The fact that reality is never what it seems is particularly evident here and I felt that sometimes the script was very PKDish in this way. The movie is remarkably effective to show how can anyone be turned on: just say the things the "target" wants to hear. Here, Farrell is desperately in need of a father and Al delivers a brilliant portray: Now that his time of his young reckless is finished, he can be moving as a patriarchal figure. Farrell isn't bad either but like him, my eyes were made all opened for Bridget (except maybe for her red hair) and it's a pity that her career stopped brutally. I'm a bit surprised by the lack of security inside the "company" but i remember also that this "company" housed a serious mole (see the case of A. A.). In conclusion, it's a really informative account of the spooks psychology and it helps understand why conspiracies are always hot.