Breach - Chris Cooper forgiven

Breach is a dark drama based on the story of Eric O'Neill, an young FBI operative working under Robert Hanssen, an agent convicted of spying for the Soviet Union then Russia for 15 years.

The story follows O'Neill, hoping that his surveillance work on counter terrorism will earn him a promotion to agent when he is given a special assignment to undercover as a clerk and monitor Robert Hanssen, a senior agent whom he is told is suspected of being a sexual deviant. At first, Hanssen insists on a strict formality between them but as time goes by he opens up to the young man and becomes quite involved with his personal life. O'Neill has a growing respect for Hanssen and can fond no evidence of a secret double life.

Breach is directed by Billy Ray (writer of the excellent screenplay of Hart's War) and stars Chris Cooper as Hanssen and Ryan Phillippe as O'Neill. Phillippe has come a long way since his idiotic "teen" roles, not as far as DiCaprio has come in recent years but when I saw Phillippe as "Doc" Bradley in Flags of our Fathers I was hoping he wouldn't go back to his old ways and from his performance in this movie it seems that he won't. The true excellence in this movie however is from Chris Cooper who is thoroughally convincing as Hanssen a man of seemingly political and religious zealotry whom yet has ideals that are the complete converse of his beliefs. His performance is so magnificent that I must "forgive" him for playing an unrealistic homosexual Marine Colonel Fitts in American Beauty. Other cast members include Laura Linney, Gary Cole and the great Dennis Haysbert.

I believe this movie is a case study in ultimate deception and shows what happens when so much trust is put on the shoulders of one man. It can be somewhat slow moving at times but the payoff is worth it.

Colonel Creedon Rating: ****