The Recruit (DVD)

James Clayton is a brilliant young software developer, who has just developed a new piece of software that takes wireless applications to an entirely new level. Whilst exhibiting his new product at a computing fair, he notices a stranger staring at him from across the hall, but thinks no more of it. However, when he sees the same man at the bar where he works in the evening, his curiosity is aroused and he strikes up conversation. The man claims to work as a “recruiter” for the CIA and he goes on to say that he believes that Clayton would make an excellent CIA operative. He leaves his contact details and tells James that he has until midday the next day to ...  Read the complete review

There are some sorts of films that must really daunt the dooyoo writer, and make her (or him) wonder just how they can write enough on them to make it worthwhile. First, there are those films we love so absolutely gruddamn much we feel we just can't do them justice (a rarity, mind). Then, those films we just cannot understand no matter how hard we tried (again, a rarity, as we're a pretty intelligent bunch on the whole). Then there is the third category - thrillers where if you say too much you ruin the whole experience - but if you say too little, you end up saying nothing. The Recruit is one of those films. The plot is a bit on the ...  Read the complete review

James Clayton is a rugged but brilliant computer hacker, on the verge of a million dollar contract with a large computer firm, by night he works as a bar tender in the nearest trendy club, but little does he know that his next customer will change his life forever. Walter Burke is a recruiter for the CIA and he wants James for the organisation, so using his dead father as a hook progresses in pulling him into becoming a spy. Whilst training at the 'Farm' he is subjected to extreme torture and is then told that he did not pass the test to become an agent. However Walter has bigger plans for him and together they try to bring down a double agent. But in this world of ...  Read the complete review

One of the hottest Hollywood properties at the moment is Colin Farrell, the Irishman has shot into starring roles, almost from nowhere. However while his lead role in Phone Booth seemed to be his big summer role, the recruit somehow managed to pass by without too much fuss. So it was to my surprise, whilst browsing CD-Wow to find this on region 1 DVD only days after it had left the local showcase. Needless to say the credit card was out pretty quickly and the DVD was bought. Farrell stars as James Clayton a hot young computer technician who still at University is being tracked by a number of high profile companies. Not only that Walter Burke (Al Pacino) is ...  Read the complete review

Colin Farrell appeared in two big movies at around the same time, with the Recruit and Phone Booth both on at the multiplexes in quick succession. Not that he hadn’t appeared in films prior to that – Daredevil, Minority Report, and, most notably Donnie Brasco - but he certainly seemed like the “next big thing” when The Recruit came out in April 2003. Of course the reason for this was that the Washington sniper murders meant that Phone Booth’s release was delayed. Whether he turned out to be the "next big thing" I'm not really so sure, but one thing's for sure - I'd rather watch a movie with Farrel in than Ben ...  Read the complete review