Breach
Inspired by the true story of the greatest security breach in U.S. history.
When young Eric O'Neill (Ryan Phillippe) is promoted out of his low-level surveillance job and into the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, his dream of becoming a full-fledged agent is on the verge of becoming reality. Even more impressive, O'Neill is hand picked to work for renowned operative Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper) within "information assurance," a new division created to protect all classified FBI Intelligence.
But O'Neill is quickly confronted with the true reason behind his hire: Hanssen is the sole subject of a long-term, top-secret investigation, a suspected mole made all the more dangerous by the sheer global import of the information he is charged with protecting. The Bureau asks O'Neill to use Hanssen's growing trust and slowly draw the traitor out of deep cover. Engaged in a lethal game of spy-versus-spy without the benefit of a cover story or backup, O'Neill finds himself fighting to bring down Hanssen before the treacherous double-agent can destroy O'Neill, his family and the nation they are both sworn to serve.
Member Reviews
High expectations - Poet
I remember seeing the previews and having high hopes for this movie. In the end, though, I felt rather let down.
Chris Cooper and Laura Linney did a really great acting job here. Unfortunately, Ryan Philippe didn't hold up his share of the load, so the whole thing felt uneven.
Still some good about this one, but it could have been so much better.A thriller - Clarice_Starling
Based on the true story of an FBI agent who is caught spying for the Russians. The movie starts with a young agent being recruited to work on a new case with very little information. He finds out that his boss is being spied on by the FBI and he has to try to outwit a much more seasoned agent. The cast were all very good, the real young agent who worked on the case assisted the cast and crew to give a more genuine feel and accuracy to the movie.Tense, Taught & True - ZetaC
Real espionage is slow. It is a paced life of paranoia and deceit. I think most people miss the point that director Billy Ray makes by pacing Breach in the manner he does. This is a true story about a crime that took decades to perpetrate and just as long to discover. The film covers only the last two years of Hanssen's career with the FBI, but the film manages to masterfully communicate the weight of his misdeeds accumulated over the decades of spying he did. This is entirely due to Chris Cooper's masterful characterization of Hanssen. Playing against Cooper's ego-filled, adept yet deeply contradictory character is Ryan Phillippe who either brilliantly or accidentally presents FBI field operative Eric O'Neill who is out of his depth by the design of his superiors. The interplay works - and works well if you aren't looking for James Bond here. The production design and cinematography powerfully communicate the claustrophobic atmosphere of the relationship between Hanssen and O'Neill. While others may critique this film for its apparent antiseptic approach, this reviewer found it engaging and provoking because that quality was obviously a forced reality of the workplace experience the main characters shared. The tension is never lost and moves between inexorable and extreme. What was most fascinating was how well the film portrayed how Hanssen and O'Neill used just enough of the real truth in their lives to get each other to accept their lies. This is one of the best true studies I've seen of espionage and human psychology, and very entertaining, too.
Member Reviews
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High expectations - Poet
I remember seeing the previews and having high hopes for this movie. In the end, though, I felt rather let down.
Chris Cooper and Laura Linney did a really great acting job here. Unfortunately, Ryan Philippe didn't hold up his share of the load, so ...A thriller - Clarice_Starling
Based on the true story of an FBI agent who is caught spying for the Russians. The movie starts with a young agent being recruited to work on a new case with very little information. He finds out that his boss is being spied on by the FBI and he has to try ...Tense, Taught & True - ZetaC
Real espionage is slow. It is a paced life of paranoia and deceit. I think most people miss the point that director Billy Ray makes by pacing Breach in the manner he does. This is a true story about a crime that took decades to perpetrate and just as long ...