Breach (2007)

Intelligent & gripping, with brilliant Chris Cooper performance

I didn't remember all that much about the story of the traitor Robert Hansen...but BREACH sure brought it back. In the very early years of the George W. Bush administration, before 9/11, the arrest of Hansen was a big story. I called him a traitor, rather than a double agent, because the extent of the damage he caused to the US intelligence efforts over a couple of decades was in the billions of dollars and also probably cost the lives of several KGB agents who were working for the US.

BREACH doesn't quite tell us exactly why Hansen did what he did, but it certainly creates a complex personality and gives us enough clues to draw our own conclusions. As portrayed by the brilliantly cast Chris Cooper, Hansen is highly intelligent, extremely intuitive, bitter, deeply religious, deeply paranoid, socially awkward, not well liked by his peers and also into some kinky stuff. Yet, despite his personality difficulties, he seems to be a top-notch performer and an invaluable asset. My guess would be that Hansen didn't feel valued ENOUGH b y the US, so he made himself important to the Russians.

Laura Linney (in one of her patented terse, tart performances that doesn't stretch her in the least) plays the primary agent in charge of finally proving Hansen is their man. He's been a suspect for awhile...but there's no proof. Linney conceives of an idea to place a green but up-and-coming young intelligence officer in Cooper's office as his new assistant. Ryan Phillipe, whom I don't always like too much, is very good. He comes into the film as a guy confident that he's got a lot to offer...he's got a great wife, great clothes, great brain and a lot of swagger. But as he is essentially confined to a small office with Cooper (as sterile and unexciting an office as there could possibly be!), the two men begin to affect each other. First, Hansen belittles his new helper, but Phillipe actually learns from this experiences man, and even begins to doubt that there is anything nefarious about him. But Hansen also begins to espouse his deeply held religious beliefs on Phillipe. Both men are Catholics, but Hansen is devoted to a fault...attending mass every day. His recommended cure for stress or pressure at work..."pray more."

Eventually, Phillipe ingratiates himself to some extent with his new boss...and Hansen loosens up just a little. He comes to trust this young man (as much as he can trust anyone)...and takes a somewhat unhealthy interest in his life and particularly in his wife.

One can't quite call this a cat and mouse game...because Hansen isn't chasing Phillipe. Nor is it a battle of wits, exactly, because Hansen clearly is superior there as well. But it's a battle of Phillipe's native wit and blazingly fast thinking on his feet vs. Hansen's analytical, experience brain.

Obviously, you know how this turns out...but it is the journey that is fascinating. The movie is very well written, and the direction is simple and clean. Most of the movie belongs to these two men. While Phillipe holds up his end very well, it is Chris Cooper, in an award-worthy performance, who steals the show. It is far from a flashy performance...this guy is the best actor I've ever seen to have so little charisma (although he sure turned his charisma ON in ADAPTATION!). He always looks vaguely like he has an upset stomach. He brings a particular sourness to this role, combined with great intelligence. It is as complete a characterization as one could ever hope to see in a movie. He's so riveting, that when he IS finally apprehended...you can't help but feel just a little sad seeing it coming to an end.

I'd also like to compliment Gary Cole's work as a peer of Hansen's, along with Kathleen Quinlan in a small but effective turn as Hansen's wife. Also excellent is Caroline Dhavernas in a critical supporting role as Phillipe's wife...I look forward seeing more of her in the future.

This is not an action-packed movie...but it is certainly one of the most exciting and intelligent thrillers to come along in a long time. I very heartily recommend it for adult viewers.

Also, whenever I see a "non-fiction" movie, I always wonder how close to the truth it may have been. The DVD has a bonus feature showing a 20/20 news report on the actual events, shortly after Hansen's arrest. Not only is it interesting, but it confirms how closely BREACH adhered to the real events. It is simply a great true story told very well indeed.
August 2, 2008

Motive remains the mystery

Well this is certainly an excellent film. The script is smart and requires constant attention. The acting is superb. The narrative and editing are fast paced and yet the viewer does not get lost. The story is compelling, complex, and frightening. Even with all these positive qualities, the film leaves the viewer with one unresolved issue, and that is to fully understand the motives behind FBI agent Robert Hanssen's 20 years of spying for the Soviet Union while nestled in the center of the FBI.

Chris Cooper is always superb. He is one of the finest actors in films. He is absolute great in this film. The other actors are excellent also but Cooper's performance was over and beyond excellent. He fully captured the psychological construction of a highly conflicted and brilliant man. Laura Linney is cool and professional in her search for the evidence against Hanssen. Ryan Phillippe, who plays young FBI clerk Eric O'Neill, does not often show emotion on his face or in his tone, but in some ways this allows him to play the 'everyman' type of guy with whom most guys would identify.

There is considerable wisdom in not over explaining, of allowing conjecture, of leaving lose ends for the audience to tie together. This is the case in this film where motive remains only partly revealed, partially exposed, and never resolved or packaged for the viewer.

Robert Hanssen was a conservative, Opus Dei Catholic, who engaged in sexual perversions. This fact alone allows us to see that the man contains conflicting emotional forces that are not resolved. But why would he become a traitor for 20 years, resulting in the deaths of many agents and loss of national security? There is a hint that he wished to show the US how vulnerable we really are. But why did it go on for 20 years? There is also considerable resentment and hostility toward authority and FBI management shown by Agent Hanssen. Was he so anti-authoritarian that he secretly wished to undermine the FBI leadership? There is resentment and sarcasm about federal policies and procedures, but every federal employee is subject to these procedures and endures them to get their work done. Was it that FBI leadership failed to recognize how smart he was, to offer him praise and recognition for his analytical abilities? This seems to me to be one of the best partial explanations. He was indeed a smart man, but even the most brilliant man can not expect constant support and praise from supervisors and leaders. The lack of constant praise, recognition, and verbal reinforcement is punishment for some personalities without a centered stable core self concept. Hanssen had strict rules for himself and family but strict rules maintained obsessively is actually about control of impulses and negative feelings more so than about organizational skills and high morality. The person with a strong sense of self is able to give themselves recognition and reward when they feel their advice has been ignored by leadership or they feel they are not appreciated. A person with a strong sense of self has the ability to empathize and realize there are lots of smart folks in federal jobs and no one gets constantly reinforced. Instead a healthy attitude is that bright employees have to take turns in the spotlight. Hanssen was vulnerable because he lacked this strong center. He was smart and organized but he was far from self-actualized, thus making him very vulnerable under pressure.
July 6, 2008

Chris Cooper is great . . .

This intelligent, well-directed/well-written film is about the famous contemporary spy for the Russians, Robert Hanssen - an FBI agent selling secrets for over 20 years until caught.

Besides telling a great story, veteran actor Chris Cooper (you might not even recognize the name, but you'll know him when you see him) turns in a sterling performance as the quirky, smart, religious Hanssen. He "makes the movie" in my opinion and is fascinating to watch and analyze as he works through this. I don't know the personality of the real Robert Hanssen, but Cooper's interpretation of him is golden.

Kudos to Ryan Phillipe as the young counter-spy, Eric O'Neill, who brings down Hanssen. Laura Linney does a credible job as O'Neill's boss in the FBI's counter-spy operation.

As a refreshing change, this is a "police movie", without all of the over-the-top fake bravado and continual pistol waving. Thoughtful, intelligent, extremely interesting. A pleasant surprise - recommended. July 4, 2008

The great acting cannot overcome the pace

Breach is a classic espionage movie. Eric O'Neill (Ryan Philippe) is sent to work on the daunting task of spying on a spy. He's paired with a veteran agent named Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper). Initially, O'Neill is given the assignment by Agent Burroughs (Laura Linney) under the guise that Hanssen has been posting sexual content on the web. Eventually he discovers that Hanssen is involved in something much more despicable.

From there it's a somewhat tense battle of wills as O'Neill, Burroughs, and all involved do whatever they can to uncover the web of lies and deceit being perpetrated by Hanssen, while he does everything he can to hide his intention and his actions.

It's well acted, and the story itself is fairly interesting. If it were a documentary on the History channel, I would have been much more interested - because there would have been many more details. And while I appreciate the fact that it stayed true to the content, there was simply something lacking in the delivery of the story, not to mention the fact that the explanation of Hanssen's actions was nearly absent. Sooner or later there needs to be a little bit of video stimulation to go along with the audio counterpart.

In the end it's a spy movie that falls flat because of bad pacing, painfully slow sequences, long-winded and uninteresting dialogue, and a great deal of disappointment. The movie is coma-inducing during portions of the movie, slower than wheelchair stuck the mud, and much like running on the beach, the arduous effort doesn't seem to be nearly as worthwhile or as running on a flat surface. May 27, 2008

Breach

This movie is very good. It showed that even the FBI had one rotten apple. I'm glad the FBI caught Robert Philip Hanssen. I hope there are no more like him. May 25, 2008

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