Breach: Much More than Spy vs. Spy
Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Laura Linney

Review by Breanne Boland February 22, 2007 Issue

Breach, another true tale of deception by the director of Shattered Glass, portrays the last months in the career of Robert Hanssen, a senior FBI agent who committed some of the worst acts of espionage in American history. It’s unclear how bad they are, because most of the details of his case have yet to be released. For almost 25 years, he sold classified documents and identities of American agents to the Russians, leading to disappearances, deaths, and tremendous damage to American intelligence abroad.

The ever-amazing Chris Cooper plays Hanssen, and Ryan Phillippe is Eric O’Neill, the junior FBI employee assigned to gather the last pieces of evidence needed to file charges. Cooper, as deft and understated as always, makes a marvelous patchwork of a character, one who is quietly, constantly cocky but also wounded by professional oversight, a devoutly religious man who is also incredibly immoral, by most anyone’s standards. Gradually, these disparate pieces begin to grind on each other, and his wounds begin to peek through his prickly, stoic exterior. He suggests more in the raise of an eyebrow than many actors could with a page of dialogue.

Phillippe was auspiciously cast in this role as a man at a difficult point both professionally and personally. His young G-man strains and stretches to be noticed in order for his career to be made, but he doesn’t have much more time in which to do it. Considering his highest profile role over the last few years has been arm candy for his very famous ex, he probably didn’t have to think very hard to find his motivation. Fortunately, he does a nice job here, juggling arrogance with desperation. Playing off the excellent Cooper probably didn’t hurt.

The finest part of this film is how the characters mirror each other. Hanssen’s long saunter toward retirement is exactly what Phillippe’s ambitious O’Neill fears; consequently, Cooper’s defection is not totally out of the realm of possibility for O’Neill, as horrified as he is by what he learns. O’Neill ricochets between respecting his mentor’s bountiful intelligence and abhorring his actions, making his lessons in manipulation and subterfuge even more painful, particularly when his deception starts to harm his marriage.

Laura Linney is firm, authoritative, and effectively human as O’Neill’s handler. She is so authentic she may have missed her calling in law enforcement. Her character elevates the story above simple cat-and-mouse games by representing exactly what was lost and destroyed by Hanssen’s work. Her quick flashes of deep sadness say more than every bit of relayed backstory and every diligent, determined look from Phillippe combined.

Breach is among the best of what can come from the combination of a provocative true story and artful storytelling. It’s suspenseful without being manipulative, and it gives us just enough information to pull us along without being deceptive. Crime and forensics stories are commonplace right now, what with the approximately 72 television series currently in production about various branches of law enforcement, but seeing the FBI track one of their own after a decade-long search puts it in a different category entirely.

Bottom line: frightening, riveting, and true.

Coming Attractions

Feb. 23
The Astronaut Farmer — Billy Bob Thornton plays an astronaut who retires to work on the family farm. To alleviate his boredom, he begins to build a rocket in his barn, catching the attention of the public and the government.

The Number 23 — Jim Carrey has been dabbling in drama for years, sometimes with great results. In this, a man becomes obsessed with… the number 23 after reading a book apparently based on his life that also mentions tragedies to come.

Reno 911 - Miami - A film based on the Comedy Central faux-COPS show. The Reno police must go to Miami Beach to thwart a terrorist plot. Not for those who can’t handle 90 minutes of very short shorts on a man.

March 2
Black Snake Moan — Christina Ricci is a wayward small-town woman forcibly taken in by Samuel L. Jackson’s outspoken religious reformer. This one could either be a brilliant study of two very different characters or a film hung on the exploitation of a scantily clad Ricci.

Zodiac — Two newspaper employees parse out clues from the Zodiac killer, outpacing and infuriating local police. Directed by David Fincher, who made Fight Club and Panic Room beautiful and innovative in addition to dramatic.

Wild Hogs — A roll in the mud withy John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, and, bafflingly, William H. Macy. Four old friends leave their boring, corporate lives for life on motorcycles, which works until they run into the Hell’s Angels, who hopefully don’t take well to the quartet.

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