Breach

February 16, 2007

Rated: PG-13 Runtime: 110 min Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Breach is the story of well known former FBI agent turned Soviet spy, Robert Hannsen (Cooper) leading up the final days to his capture, and the team that brought him down. Cooper plays the role of Hannsen with the same dedication and mastery as anything else he does, so the criticism of this film in now way reflects on him… And, had Cooper been paired with a more suitable leading man to play FBI analyst Eric O’Neill (Phillippe), the movie would have been much better IMNHO. But I digress; you have to work with what you have.

Breach The movie starts out with the appointment of an up and coming analyst working for the FBI that wants to be fast tracked to agent status. Special Agent Kate Burroughs (Linney) approaches O’Neill and offers him a proposition; all he has to do is act as aide to a senior agent that the FBI believes to be a sexual deviant, and report any unusual findings to the bureau.

O’Neill writes down everything he sees and observes Hannsen’s every action and he doesn’t find a thing. Hannsen goes to morning mass every morning, has religious paraphernelia all over his office, loves his family and prays the rosary every day. For all intents and purposes Hannsen is the perfect Catholic and family man, and in O’Neill’s estimation being accused of crimes he’s not guilty of, and refuses to continue the assignment unless they tell him the truth. At this point Burroughs has no choice but to let O’Neill know the hard facts of the case, and she tells him everything; the espionage, the treason, the dead KGB assets, and the real story behind his sexual perversions… all of which restores Eric’s determination to bring him down.

The story is solid (fact based as it is), the direction isn’t terrible, and the supporting cast of Haysbert, Cole, Quinlan and Dhavernas all gave solid performances. So, what was it that brought the movie down for me? It had to be Phillippe. I just don’t think he’s very good and no matter what role he’s playing he’s always Ryan Phillippe. Now, I can’t say that the real Eric O’Neill wasn’t exactly as Phillippe portrayed him, so I won’t even go there. But, I know boring when I see it and each time he showed his face on screen I got bored, so that to me makes him the root of my discontent.

If you want to know more about this story and the real Robert Hannsen buy the book the Spy that stayed out in the cold and skip this movie completely. If you just want to kill some time in a sub par spy thriller check it out.

Posted by J.C. Edwards | Filed Under 3 Stars, Chris Cooper, Dennis Haysbert, Drama, Gary Cole, Laura Linney, PG-13, Ryan Phillippe, Theatrical, Thriller