 |  | Get Showtimes... |
Review #397 of 365
Movie Review of Breach (2006) [PG-13] 110 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $13.00
Where Viewed: United Artists Denver Pavilions Stadium 15, Denver, CO
Special Advance Screening
When 1st Seen: 13 February 2007
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Film's Official Website • Film's Trailer
DVD Release Date: unscheduled
Directed by: Billy Ray (Shattered Glass)
Screenplay by: Adam Mazer, William Rotko, and Billy Ray (Flightplan) based on the story by Adam Mazer and William Rotko
Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Chris Cooper (Syriana) • Ryan Phillippe (Flags of Our Fathers) • Laura Linney (Man of the Year) • Caroline Dhavernas (Hollywoodland) • Gary Cole (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby) • Dennis Haysbert ("The Unit") • Kathleen Quinlan (The Hills Have Eyes [2006])
Soundtrack: order the CD below
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
In mid-February 2001, after years of searching, the FBI finally caught and arrested its most notorious and reputedly dangerous double agent of all time, Robert Hanssen originally of Chicago, IL, and recruited into the FBI after a stint with the Chicago PD Internal Corruption division. The two months that preceded his capture, enabled by a young agent named Eric O'Neill, planted into his tutelage to keep an eye on him and help find the evidence that would eventually lead to his capture, form the 'based on a true story' timeline for the film, Breach, starring Chris Cooper as the Soviet/Russian intelligence expert and Ryan Phillippe as O'Neill. Intriguing from the outset, the complex story attempts to answer, in the process, the unanswerable question, and that is what actually turns a man entrusted with some of the most important and invaluable information (such as the plans prepared to protect the government in the case of imminent danger) into a man capable of selling out his country? Unfortunately, the solution is neither simple nor direct. In fact, it is as convoluted as the very thinking that must drive such treason. Given that the ending is historical record, Robert Hanssen was, indeed, caught red-handed, convicted, and spared of the death penalty in exchange for life in the SuperMax prison and an agreement to cooperate with FBI intelligence in the future, the film has to create tension in dramatic other ways. It does so by placing Eric O'Neill's life in constant peril due to an inadvertent discovery of his true purpose by Hanssen. Of course, at first, O'Neill has no clue as to the real assignment he's been given—he's told that Hanssen is a sexual deviant and could prove to be an embarrassment to the Bureau if discovered. He's told that he's to watch Hanssen's every move, keep a journal, and hunt for evidence of this deviance that could be used to bring him down. But, what O'Neill finds is a guy who goes to Catholic mass every day, is a loving husband and grandfather, works to help bring God to the lives of others, and no sign of him being a deviant, sexual or otherwise. This lack of full disclosure is for the best, as O'Neill's immediate supervisor, Agent Kate Burroughs (Laura Linney) realizes this will help protect O'Neill from raising and suspicion. The hero of the story, therefore, ultimately is O'Neill as he is the one who unlocks Hanssen's mind enough to know his weaknesses and to understand his pride. It is this understanding, precisely, that opens up Hanssen's Achilles heel and allows O'Neill to capitalize and help take Hanssen down. Of course, it is certain that many details were changed in the interest of national security, etc., nonetheless, the concept of spying on a spy without him finding out under the auspices of catching him in the act of serving as a double agent was intriguing. If anything, however, in trying to answer the what made Hanssen tick, the film got a bit bogged down in two ways: too much time was spent meandering through the intertangled religious lives of his wife, Bonnie (Kathleen Quinlan) and O'Neill's wife, Juliana (Caroline Dhavernas) and second, too much was made early on about the sexually deviant behavior of Hanssen, but there was no mention of it in the end (apparently this part of the story is also rooted in fact, incidentally). These factors decreased the overall potency of the film a bit especially given the final outcome for O'Neill—which won't be spoiled here as it might be the only thing about the case most people don't know or don't remember.
"…a delicious little game of cat and mouse between the FBI and it's biggest spy…"
Director Billy Ray's technique in pacing the film worked rather well, though, creating a tense spy thriller under the cloak of an pre-known ending. Chris Cooper was absolutely perfect as Hanssen navigating the waters of playing one of the worst criminal spies in the history of the USA while hinting at a deeply God-fearing and patriotic man who may have, in his delusions, justified his actions as lessons to our own government as to our weaknesses and loopholes. At one point he all but points fingers in suggesting that the intelligence agency turf wars are the root of their problems and eventual downfall when it comes to being actually effective. He mentions a failure to co-operate among the agencies where as the enemy will cooperate with anyone who will listen to their cause as, perhaps, the single largest problem with the USA intelligence community. Deftly walking the boundary line between his family, his spying, his religious beliefs, and his allegience to his country, Mr. Cooper portrays him as an incredibly intelligent, completely misunderstood icon that really could have gone either way given the right circumstances. As for Ryan Phillippe, this was a bit of a stretch for him. The talented actor is still struggling to abandon his "I Know What You Did Last Summer" teen heart throb image and emerge a strong leading man. He's not quite there yet despite a truly mesmerizing performance in Crash, this role of O'Neill was not one that afforded him much emotional engagement with the character. It remains to be seen if he will be given a role that will permit him to really test his true acting gift. Laura Linney turns in another in a long line of very capable performances in roles that, again, do not fully capitalize or challenge her true acting skills either. Which is too bad, because she's ready and due. Gary Cole and Dennis Haysbert put in fun cameo-esque performances, while Kathleen Quinlan and Caroline Dhavernas (the wives of Hanssen and O'Neill) are afforded little to say or do. Really this is a delicious little game of cat and mouse between the FBI and it's biggest spy with O'Neill playing the cheese.
Back to Top | W.I.P. Scale™ | Most Recently Reviewed Films | Films of 2005 | Films of 2006 | Films of 2007
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Other Projects Featuring Breach (2007)
Cast Members
Chris Cooper
• Ryan Phillippe • Laura LinneyCaroline Dhavernas
• Gary Cole • Dennis HaysbertKathleen Quinlan
Co-Writer / Director
Billy Ray
Co-Writers
Adam Mazer
• William Rotko| CD Soundtrack | DVD | VHS |
| Related Book | Related Book | Related Book |
Breach (2007) Review-lite [150-word cap]
In mid-February 2001, after years of searching, the FBI finally caught and arrested its most notorious and reputedly dangerous double agent of all time, Robert Hanssen originally of Chicago, IL, and recruited into the FBI after a stint with the Chicago PD Internal Corruption division. The two months that preceded his capture, enabled by a young agent named Eric O'Neill, planted into his tutelage to keep an eye on him and help find the evidence that would eventually lead to his capture, form the 'based on a true story' timeline for the film, Breach, starring Chris Cooper as the Soviet/Russian intelligence expert and Ryan Phillippe as O'Neill. Director Billy Ray's technique in pacing the film worked rather well creating a tense spy thriller under the cloak of an pre-known ending. Cooper was absolutely perfect as Hanssen. Phillippe, still struggles to shed his "Cruel Intentions" teen heart throb image.
No comments:
Post a Comment