Breach

Filled with tension, deception and bravura acting, Breach is a crackling tale of real-life espionage that doubles as a compelling psychological drama.

Without Cooper's performance, Breach would have been a good, workmanlike thriller. His presence lifts it to a whole new level.

A wonderfully taut cat-and-mouse thriller.

Ray and his writers found plenty of material to fill Cooper's capable hands. They've turned what must have been a tedious investigation into a sharp cat-and-mouse game between Hanssen and Eric O'Neill (Ryan Phillippe).

Like "Shattered Glass," the other picture Billy Ray directed, Breach probes a guilty mind and reveals how he baffled people. We get a Hitchcock-like pleasure from knowing the protagonist is guilty and watching other shocked characters realize his wickedness.

Breach is competently made but, aside from Cooper's performance, there's nothing here worth getting excited about.

The unexciting look and feel of the movie wouldn’t have bothered me if the filmmakers had penetrated Hanssen’s skull a little.

Masterful docudrama - solid acting, great script and direction. Thrilling, the most realistic of suspense and also Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) work.

Breach – A heady Spy Drama Thanks to a friend’s recommendation I came late to this one and while constantly watchable, in fact quite engrossing, Breach is to be taken as a Hollywood product. While based on specific amazing facts regarding anti-American spy Robert Hanssen, many situations are fabrications of the screenwriter. That said, this production remains superior movie entertainment. As always, the strength of the central performances will differ with each viewer’s attachment to those cast in respective roles but generally, all acquit themselves well, with Chris Cooper particularly eerie as Hanssen. Director/co-screen adaptor Billy Ray thankfully avoids over-indulging in too much modern sensationalism - apart from the totally fictionalized, sexual perversions of the main character. American-born Cinematographer Tak Fujimoto creates mystic images, while Composer Michael Danna matches his compositions and carries the moods. This successful production should please those with an appreciation for complex dramas with a basis in factual characters.

Breach is a fine-tuned spy thriller with a great story. It lacks originality somewhat, but makes up for it with fine performances by Cooper, Linney, and Philippe.

Great job of directing and acting with a nice crisp cast. Always love Chris Cooper when he is cast in a decent role as he always delivers well. True account of one of our own agents who became a turn coat/spy. Ryan Phillipe is cast as the wanna be agent who is set into motion to catch the defector. Great movie with a nice cat and mouse game of how the defector was exposed, had me biting my fingernails and on the edge of my seat as he worked to gather evidence.

Breach is a good political/spy thriller that really keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. Chris Cooper and Ryan Phillippe are both very good, as is Laura Linney. It is also really well told and developed, as the story really unfolds nicely and, as I mentioned already, it is very interesting. There is a real intensity in this one as, while you know what happens, you keep waiting for that shoe to drop and for them to get their guy. The way the story was told also seemed pretty fair. While Robert Hanssen is undeniably a traitor and perverted, there is a good guy in there somewhere and the film includes those moments, which I found to be a plus. The way the story stuck largely to the facts is another big plus as it really was authentic and it felt almost as if we were watching the real thing unveil before our eyes. The only major negative I can think of is the pacing. For the first 40 minutes, the pacing is glacial at best, which challenges your attention greatly. While interesting, it struggles to get going, but once it does, this one is definitely a winner.