Film Muser Rating : 3.5 / 5
Release Date : February 16, 2007
Running Time : 110 minutes
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Breach is the story of Eric O’Neil (Ryan Phillippe), a young FBI analyst who is tasked with spying on Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper), a 25 year veteran of the bureau who has been allegedly selling U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union. O’Neil is stationed as Hanssen’s clerk, and is under orders to keep track of everything he does, no matter how minuscule, in an attempt to catch him in the act of making a drop. O’Neil finds himself in a difficult position to outsmart Hanssen who invades his personal life, and who continues to possess the intelligence that let him pull the wool over the eyes of the FBI for 25 years.

Breach Starring Chris Cooper and Ryan Phillippe

This film is based on the true story of the case built around Robert Hanssen’s 25 years of treason, and is considered the largest breach of security in the history of the United States. The damage of his actions were huge, and have not been fully disclosed by the government. It is known that he compromised the identity of around fifty agents, leading to the death of at least three of them. The film does a nice job of portraying Hanssen as a deeply religious man who uses his faith to lead him through his daily life. It also reveals another side of his life as a sexual deviant. It is the classic case of preaching one thing, but doing the other. The same is seen as Hanssen preaches his love for his country, but in the meantime is selling it out to the enemy.

Chris Cooper is incredible as Robert Hanssen. I’ve been a fan of this guy ever since I saw him in 1999′s October Sky, and he seems to be putting out strong performances in every movie he’s been in since. Ryan Phillippe is continuing to be cast in more serious roles, seemingly trying to be taken as a more serious actor. His performance was surprisingly good, and he holds his own while up against the likes of Chris Cooper. Laura Linney plays Kate Burroughs, O’Neil’s handler, and she was adequate, but her role just didn’t seem to fit her.

Overall I enjoyed this film, for its intelligence and subject matter. If you’re expecting a spy movie like The Bourne Identity, you’re going to be disappointed, because this is a spy movie not based on action, or the actual espionage, but is more a psychological story of the spies. I was slightly disappointed that we weren’t really given much insight into what ultimately drove Hanssen to his traitorous ways, but I do understand that this was not really what the film was about. This is a film built around dialog, while exploring the complex mind of America’s greatest traitor.

Memorable Scene
One morning Hanssen rhetorically asks O’Neil why the Soviet Union collapsed even though they were smarter than the Americans. Hanssen explains that it was because of Godlessness – that they were a nation of atheists. It was such an odd scene, knowing that Hanssen was such a devout Catholic, yet he was willing to betray his country to aid this nation of so-called Atheists.