The Recruit (2003)

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

Director:

Roger Donaldson

Writers:

Roger Towne, Kurt Wimmer

Stars:

Al Pacino, Colin Farrell, Bridget Moynahan

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 Cooper	...	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

Storyline

In an era when the country's first line of defense, intelligence, is more important than ever, this story opens the CIA's infamous closed doors and gives an insider's view into the Agency: how trainees are recruited, how they are prepared for the spy game, and what they learn to survive. James Clayton might not have the attitude of a typical recruit, but he is one of the smartest graduating seniors in the country - and he's just the person that Walter Burke wants in the Agency. James regards the CIA's mission as an intriguing alternative to an ordinary life, but before he becomes an Ops Officer, James has to survive the Agency's secret training ground, where green recruits are molded into seasoned veterans. As Burke teaches him the ropes and the rules of the game, James quickly rises through the ranks and falls for Layla, one of his fellow recruits. But just when James starts to question his role and his cat-and-mouse relationship with his mentor, Burke taps him for a special ...

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Plot Keywords:

watching tv | cia | recruit | mole | training | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Action | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence, sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Persian Russian

Release Date:

31 January 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Farm

Filming Locations:

Arlington, Virginia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$46,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,302,063, 2 February 2003, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$52,802,140, 6 June 2013

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$101,191,884, 6 June 2013

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment, Epsilon Motion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The plate number on Layla's VW: 1133RCN.

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Goofs

When Burke is screaming at his colleagues, the laser sights are already on his chest before the order is given to target him and not Clayton.

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Quotes

Cab Driver: What are you here for?
James Clayton: An interview.
Cab Driver: You look nervous.
James Clayton: Yeah, a bit.
Cab Driver: [turning around in his seat] Just grab your balls.
James Clayton: [surprised] Grab my balls?
Cab Driver: Yeah, just grab your balls, squeeze them hard. Takes your mind right off the fear.
James Clayton: [smiling] Yeah, sure.
Cab Driver: Well, it works for me.

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Crazy Credits

Girl in the window - Lorrie Barth

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Alternate Versions

The film's DVD release presented the film open-matte, at an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, meaning there was more picture information visible in the top and bottom of the frame than in normal theaters and on Blu-ray.

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Connections

Referenced in Lost Connection (2011)

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Soundtracks

Change
Written by Shaun Verreault, Earl Pereira, Safwan Javed and Craig Northey
Performed by Wide Mouth Mason
Courtesy of Warner Music Canada Ltd

User Reviews

Ambiguous?

Ironic this movie's made by Spyglass? Or is it? Isn't there ambiguity there as well?

Nothing is what it seems.

Yes the writers could have gone over their screenplay and given it another one-two and that may have raised the caliber another notch, but this is still good entertainment. It won't change your life, but it will be a well spent couple of hours.

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.