BREACH

Breach is the true story of Eric O’Neil’s (Ryan Phillippe) participation in the capture of Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper), an FBI agent who was secretly selling confidential information to the Russians for over 22 years.

The film, as a whole, is engaging and thought-provoking, although less interesting than the true-life story. Granted, Billy Ray’s (Shattered Glass) direction is as calculating and precise as is Cooper’s portrayal of Hanssen, whose performance as a super-religious, perverted turncoat is spot-on, if not award-worthy. Ryan Phillippe keeps pace, giving a solid performance as an opportunistic FBI agent-wannabe. And Laura Linney, Kathleen Quinn, and Dennis Haysbert provide sound backup in minor roles.

But it is the opening sequence with news footage from February 2001 of John Ashcroft, the then U.S. Attorney General, that hits home with the scary realization that the world in which we live is no longer safe. Ashcroft announces that Robert Hanssen has been found guilty of treason against America and reminds us how vulnerable the United States of America is to outside attacks, just seven months before 9/11. Ashcroft’s prescient comment also tells us that we are watching a true story but immediately reminds you of the slippery slope the U.S. is beginning descend. It doesn't matter how good the film is—and Breach is a very good film—real life and the history of the six years following the 9/11 attacks--featuring poor intelligence information and the progress of the Iraq War--will always be more interesting, if not scarier, than any film.

That said, Breach is the best film released during February, engaging and thought-provoking. Billy Ray is definitely a director to watch, and Chris Cooper’s wonderful portrayal of a real-life double agent is stonily solid.

                                                        James R. Janowsky