Here you will find a list of films that Dieter Avery, aka "Dabbler In The Arts," managed to see at test screenings and/or publicity screenings. The following reviews are based on such.

T H E   R E C R U I T

Note: Spoilers

Reaction: Mixed/Positive

The title of this film probably says it all. The Recruit stands for a certain character in the film. Back when it was still called The Farm, I could see how the change was made. The old title didn't signal any importance as to what the film takes you through.

The Recruit basically tells the story of a young man named James Clayton (Farrell) who is recruited by Walter Burke (Pacino) to join the CIA. James has created a website devoted to his father who was lost on a CIA mission in 1990. He works at a bar part-time, but his real job lies in his creation of a computer software called Spartacus that can take over, or enslave, other software programs and exploit them. Walter Burke seems intriguing to James because he might have information about his lost father. James takes the entry exam and soon joins other recruits as they head to the CIA training facility "The Farm."

Once there, Burke and his team begin to train these recruits. He tells them "don't get caught," "nothing is as it seems" and "everything is a test." Burke favors James over the other recruits because he is an intuitive and smart guy. While on The Farm, James befriends fellow co-trainee Layla Moore (Moynahan). There isn't much romance between them, but more is destined to develop. In any case, some recruits graduate and some do not. James is the top graduate of the class and almost immediately is recruited again by Burke to investigate a mole in the agency. James declines at first when Burke tells him who the mole is, but then takes the assignment.

Now the second hour of the film begins. The first hour actually feels pretty long. This is mainly due to the fact that a lot of information needs to be explained and communicated, yet most of it feels like prolonged exposition. The second half deals with James and Burke's investigation into the Mole. He is transferred to Langley to master a desk job while monitoring the Mole there. His job is to find out to whom the information goes to after the Mole extracts it from Langley. James meets Burke to discuss the situation, at which point James begins to befriend the Mole and get information that way. This description of the second half is really superficial, because I think by spoiling the identity would really take away the suspense.

The investigation takes a turn, for the worse perhaps, when James is forced to shoot someone possibly associated with the Mole. However, after he shoots the person, he begins to question the investigation in a light he thought would never be possible. James begins to grow confused about his role and the identity of the Mole and the secret information being stolen.

At this point, I think it is relevant to bring up a story The Recruit is supposedly loosely based upon. This story involves Harold Nicholson, a CIA agent, who was convicted of spying for the Russian government. This leads me to mention the premise a lot of websites, including Spyglass Entertainment (they produced it), list for this film, and I quote, "A young trainee suspects that his seasoned CIA instructor is a double agent." If you have read this before, you know more than half of this film. If you have not heard of this film at all, consider yourself spoiled to the fullest. Basically, that's the whole movie right there and makes the first hour of the film seem too much like an "introduction" to a history book. In any case, this  premise, as it is worded, gives away too much and pretty much kills any sort of suspense.

Roger Donaldson directed The Recruit and he did his job well. Camera work and settings are great. He knows his stuff, too, because he got a great performance out of Colin Farrell, a guy who really earns the praise he's worthy of (add to that his $5 million paycheck for this film). The Recruit, on the top of its game, is an engaging mystery thriller to watch. It really is fun to see this film play out, that is, until we get to the end.

Written by Kurt Wimmer (The Thomas Crown Affair) and Mitch Glazer (Charlie's Angels), The Recruit takes turns for the worse late in the second hour. Initially, Robert Towne also wrote a draft, according to a credit at IMDB. Either one of these writers who worked on the script until shooting began, could have been a bit more intuitive. The decision to end the script the way it did felt a little bit like a cheat. In fact, it would've been more interesting to explore James's original investigation, had it not been what it is. It can be argued that when the climax reaches its peak, something does not feel right. It feels like a "been there, done that" kind of event. Even the climax's setting is an event explored many times, which, needless to say, takes place in a warehouse. So much for originality, eh.

Without further going into details for the fear of spoiling too much, I safely want to say that The Recruit, in the end, despite of its clever and engaging mood, does not add up perfectly and feels loose in some important areas. The prime example is the way the film turns out. Another is plausibility and role-playing that takes place. There are two sides to James's investigation we find out at the end, and going back to them forces you to think of too many different types of explanations to answer the "why's" and "how's" of this film. Even though these flaws exist, The Recruit is an interesting thriller to watch. Most exciting is the team-up of Colin Farrell and Al Pacino. Two great actors of two different times. Their chemistry works. This is Farrell's best performance in any movie yet. I guess it's safe to say this guy owns this movie. He just looks and acts so natural, in any role, really. Phone Booth should surprise!

Superficially, The Recruit seems smart and mysterious, but of course, in the end, things turn out a little different. This does not mean I did not enjoy it wholly. I actually cared for James Clayton and the subplot involving his father. Sometimes, an ending can end the enthusiasm of a film. In the case of The Recruit, it only did half the damage.

-- Dabbler In The Arts.

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