Movie Review: Breach

Breach is a story based on true events. I always wonder what that means when a book or movie is described in that way. Is the story completely true, or is it embellished for dramatic affect? And, if it is embellished, what part of the story really happened? I found myself wondering this a lot throughout the movie, mainly because it fell flat in terms of being a powerful thriller but also because Robert Haansen was so creepy and weird that I had to wonder how much of his film persona was real. Even if only some of it was, he is not a man I would have liked to run in to at Sunday Mass.

Chris Cooper, Academy award nominated actor for the movie Adaptation, stars as Haansen, an FBI agent who is suspected of selling secrets to the Soviets. Because the agency has, for years, been unsuccessful in proving this, they enlist the help of a rookie agent named Eric O'Neill (Ryan Philippe) to spy on Haansen. Eric is told that Haansen is suspected of being a sexual deviant, and they want Eric to search his computer for sexually explicit material. This, however, is a cover up for the real reason they have sent O'Neill in, and it doesn't take Eric long to figure out he's been duped.

Once O'Neill finds out what his real mission is, the stakes become high as his marriage suffers due to the intense and confidential nature of his assignment. Haansen and his wife, both obsessively religious Catholics, worm their way in to Eric's home and his life, a situation that at first frustrates and soon angers Eric's wife who is not Catholic and who is very uncomfortable with the religious pressures her husband's new boss has imposed on them.

It's obvious throughout this movie that Robert Haansen is using his devout Catholicism as a shield to hide his sins. What I was not sure of was whether or not he knew it was a shield. What I mean by this is did he use religion with malicious intent, or did he really believe he was serving God? This is a character that was so deranged and sociopathic, that I tend to lean towards his oblivion.

I enjoyed Breach because of the phenomenal acting by Chris Cooper as well as strong performances by Philippe and Laura Linney. Cooper is an underrated talent who continues to turn in excellent performances. Laura Linney and Ryan Philippe also impressed with powerful acting, although Linney did not have nearly enough screen time. Ryan Philippe has never, in my opinion, been truly memorable in any of his roles, always seemingly overshadowed by his media darling ex-wife. His turn as conflicted agent in training O'Neill, however, was respectable and even impressive at times. Maybe with divorce will come recognition on his own merits?

As I said, I enjoyed Breach for the fine performances, but with a less talented cast, the movie would have fallen flat. It was a thriller, but I never sat on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. If events were embellished for dramatic effect, they were not done well enough to reel me in. Laura Linney plays the agent who assigns Philippe's character to the case, and on more than one occasion, she says that the betrayal by Robert Haansen was the biggest breach in FBI's history. I can see how it would be, but I never felt the impact of that just by seeing the story unfold as it did in the movie.

I would recommend Breach because of the performances, but if the viewer is looking for an exciting, nail biting thriller, this movie probably will not do the trick.