Breach

Chris Cooper’s intense portrayal of FBI turncoat makes Breach a must see.

Breach is the true story of FBI turncoat Robert Hanssen, and the six months preceding his arrest in 2001. Played by Chris Cooper, Hanssen is a steely agent specialising in computer security. A devote Christian and family man, Hanssen is the model moral American. Oh, except for that bit about trading US government secrets and the sex videos of his wife.

Believed not to have been driven by money, it is thought that Hanssen received satisfaction in exposing what he believed was an inferior intelligence gathering agency, angered by the FBI system that he thought had betrayed him, his self pride and obsession with proving the beauru wrong would in the end be his downfall.

The story’s turning point occurs when young trainee agent Eric O’Neill, played by Ryan Phillippe, is assigned to gather information on the suspicious agent. Not even Eric is aware of the job’s real purpose, believing his task is to gather information about Hanssen’s sexual indiscretions.

O’Neill forms a strong bond with the tough agent and becomes disillusioned with the FBI’s treatment of him. Challenging his superior he soon learns the true extent of the case against Hanssen, along with 500 other agents he begins work on the difficult task of uncovering Hanssen’s fraud and dissent.

Some nail biting scenes follow in classic style involving a PDA and some classified documents, but at the core of Billy Ray’s film is a character study. The dialogue is engaging, the relationships intense, and when Hanssen begins to affect O’Neill’s private life, the story takes on a new dimension, because this is an American film about the American government it does at times feel very pro USA, and in turn pro government, this however isn’t a major theme and if you can grit your teeth through the speeches about “Serving your country” it shouldn’t bother the average viewer.

Chris Cooper’s performance is steely, intense, genuinely creepy, and successfully portrays the years of lies and deceit that Hanssen imposed on the government. Ryan Phillipee’s performance, however, is disappointingly not at the same calibre. He does offers a respectable supporting role though.

The Film reaches an exciting and tense climax when Hanssen unravels and shows more and more of his dark side; a side that up to this point he has successfully kept hidden. Viewers who nothing of Hanssen’s story will find the film even more entertaining.

In comparison to the other blockbusters of from the end of 2006, Breach is a far more engaging interesting story that will appeal to the thinker, it isn’t pretentious however and it speaks to the audience at an honest level giving them an insight into What has become an interesting time in American history.