Director: Roger Donaldson (Thirteen Days, Dante's Peak, Species)

An efficient mainstream thriller, The Recruit pairs my favourite actor of the moment Colin Farrell with another giant, Al Pacino. In a rare misfire, due to the script and possibly the uninspired direction of Donaldson, Pacino is forced to play a role rather than a character. The end result is more of a parody of Pacino's earlier work than a true performance. Farrell on the other hand breezes through his part as a CIA recruit singled out by Pacino for a special assignment. He is completely believable. Bridget Moynahan (Coyote Ugly, Sum of all Fears) as Farrell's love interest is also solid.

While the movie has no trouble engaging your attention for 115 minutes, the inherent blandness imposed by Australian director Roger Donaldson means that The Recruit is only good for one rental. Just sit back and enjoy Farrell at the top of his game, together with the fabulous cinematography of Stuart Dryburg, who forged a name for himself with his work on The Piano (1993) and Once Were Warriors (1994). He makes this film look better than it really is.