Breach [2007]

Year:	2007
Country:	USA
Language:	English
Genre:	Biography, Crime, Drama
IMDB:	IMDB Page
Rating:	5.5 Rate
Collection:	Seen It Wishlist
Community:	3 Have Seen


Director	Billy Ray
Selected Cast	Chris Cooper as Robert Hanssen
	Ryan Phillippe as Eric O'Neill
	Laura Linney as Kate Burroughs
	Dennis Haysbert as Dean Plesac
	Caroline Dhavernas as Juliana O'Neill
	Gary Cole as Rich Garces
	Kathleen Quinlan as Bonnie Hanssen
	Bruce Davison as John O'Neill

On DVD & Blu-ray World

DVD

Breach [2007] - Universal - USA (2007)

HD DVD

Breach [2007] - Universal - USA (2007)

DVD

Breach [2007] - Universal - USA (2007)

DVD

Breach [2007] - RCV - Netherlands (2007)

Images

Comments and Reviews


Twistin 6th Aug 2020		Rated 6/10 Breach is a highly stylized representation of a short period in the life and crimes of Robert Hanssen, senior FBI agent and one of the worst traitors in U.S. intelligence history. In comparison to the previously filmed treatment of the story, the 2002 TV movie Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story, that earlier film unfolded in a realistic, visually muted manner, taking the time to examine all of the characters and their motivations. It was believable and convincing because the shock of a man turning on his country and duty was not embellished for the thrill factor, nor were any of the principals exagerrated caricatures enhanced for dramatic effect. The viewers of Breach get betrayed with popcorn-movie mechanics in favor of the real story, which is less exciting. Dark, gloomy lighting pre-empts the way most rooms and locations are really lit so that it builds intensity in otherwise bland environments; sadly, the same trick is played with characters and events as opposed to the real story. In fairness, Breach only covers two months prior to Hanssen's arrest and some events are paraphrased into that narrow timeline. Further, there's the old pace issue in which producers strip away details in order to advance the story in a timely manner. That said, no attempt is made to see any part of Hanssen's personality aside from a lurid, enigmatic bad guy. An easy-to-hate villain italicized by some quirky issues that make his manner erratic and intimidating. I'm OK with conversations being invented to better sell the story and motives, but when the whole film is spit & polished for the sake of high audience score cards, it loses cred. There's a number of plot holes that also create a credibility gap, such as Hanssen's judgment, which spoil the depiction of him as a "master spy". On the other hand, there is indeed a great deal of accuracy that was scrupulously recreated, from locations such as FBI offices to involvement from the real life Eric O'Neill, who served as a consultant. It's not as if the film is a deception, just that the process overrides the real story. The cast and crew are top shelf, particularly the lens work of Tak Fujimoto (Gladiator, The Silence of the Lambs). Billy Ray, a screenwriter by trade, is skillful and proves he can helm a project (this being the second of three films he's directed.) Chris Cooper delivers his usual fine work and carries the film with adequate support from Ryan Phillippe as his colleague. Although I like Laura Linney, her performance is a bit postured, overplayed and smug, I never believed she was a high-ranking handler for the FBI. The presence of Gary Cole and Dennis Haysbert bring needed charisma to the bleak proceedings. Cooper's portrayal of Hanssen is depicted as more methodical than vulnerable, as we never learn the motivation behind his breach. Political and religious cheap shots are peppered in early on, Hanssen's faith routinely shown in a laughable extreme, and every other slight eccentricity enlarged the way a slasher film might detail the traits of its killer. Those aspects are not pronounced with the same animous in the 2002 film, which was painstakingly penned by Norman Mailer. As a piece of entertainment with some historical value, Breach pushes all the right cinematic buttons, albeit at a slower speed limit than action fans weaned on Bourne films will have the patience for. If the story fascinates you at all, I would recommend the earlier film for a more complete version of a story that needs more than two months to represent and less attention paid to pacing to make its case. 7 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?

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