Breach Review
By David Kempler
Breach of Faith
U.S. double-agent Robert Hanssen, considered by some to be the single greatest traitor in U.S. history, is shown here in a tale that attempts to show us how he was finally caught and apprehended. It's hard to be certain how close to reality "Breach" is because this is an internal FBI affair we are examining. For arguments sake, let's assume the story is true even if it is not the most important aspect of this telling. Director Billy Ray (Flightplan") has carved a more than competent telling of the case but it never quite ascends to high drama.
Chris Cooper portrays Hanssen and he is a very talented fellow as he has previously demonstrated in 50 or so movies. He plays Hanssen as a straight-laced God fearing man who has what may or may not be a flawed personality. A young inexperienced buck, Eric O'Neill (Ryan Phillipe), is brought in to expose Hanssen even though he seems hopelessly over his head. One of the big obstacles facing O'Neill is Hanssen's giant intellect that has so far stymied all attempts by his superiors to expose him. Why they think O'Neill will be able to outsmart him is a mystery but let's not forget that this is a movie.
O'Neill gains Hanssen's confidence by convincing him of his own newly found devotion to Catholicism. Seems a bit far fetched but since I'm not sure what happened in reality I suppose it is possible. O'Neill's young bride and Hanssen's stereotypical good woman/wife take care of their roles but this is essentially a two man show except for the moments where Kate Burroughs (Laura Linney), O'Neill's boss, enters and spurs O'Neill on. I'm unsure if she is miscast or if her role is borderline unnecessary. It doesn't much matter anyway.
Despite what you might think if you have read this far I did enjoy "Breach". I just wasn't blown away by it. It's fun to watch and holds your attention. It's when you leave the theater that you begin to wonder how believable the whole deal is. Look at it as two hours of your life that could have been spent far worse and you won't experience any major post-movie letdown. I can't highly recommend this or tell you it's garbage. It's better than most. How is that for a ringing endorsement?
