DVD Review Rewind #2: Breach

(ChrisAndKenny-Gras' Rating: 2 tubs/No Butter popcorn)

Inspired by the true story of the greatest security breach in US history.

Eric O'Neill (Ryan Phillippe, best known for being married/divorced to Reese Witherspoon and the 1999 hit "Cruel Intentions") is a young agent-in-training, promoted out of his low-level surveillance job and into his dream of becoming a full-fledged agent. All he has to do is keep the FBI abreast of the dealings of one of their own, renowned operative Robert Hanssen (played by creepy Oscar winner Chris Cooper, best known as the demented strict marine father who kills Kevin Spacey in 2000's "American Beauty")

His enthusiasm, however, quickly turns to anxiety as O'Neill is confronted with the true reason behind his unexpected promotion. Hanssen is the sole subject of a long-term, top-secret investigation; he is a suspected traitor who has betrayed over 50 US intelligence operatives and has been giving our enemies extremely dangerous global information and secrets (One biggie: where the President, VP, and U.S. Congress would be hiding out in the event of an attack on the country...exactly where to eliminate them.)

The problem that I had with this movie was it was extremely lethargic...slow paced and the only time something happens, really happens, is at the end and it's just a man planting an envelope under a bridge....that's it. Cooper is great at being a weird, mean looking man that looks like he is disgusted by everyone and everything around him. As for Phillipe's role, it looks like they could have given that role to a total unknown and still gotten the same results. Laura Linney has a few good lines, but is mostly background decoration as is Gary Cole (Office Space), Dennis Haybert (of Fox's "24", who I met at Dulles International Airport recently), and Bruce Davison (X-Men).

For such sensitive matters in these post-September 11th times of ours, the movie didn't pack many punches. It did at some points, mostly when Cooper's Hanssen begins to doubt O'Neill and starts to realize that his end may be coming near. Some might like this movie for the slow burning aspect of the plot, I for one was left luke warm. I didn't care for the religious angle as well (making Catholics look not that great) I'm just relieved that they really did catch the real Hanssen. For me, the final scene in the movie was the best one in the whole film. It's when Hanssen and O'Neil see each other face to face one last time...What's your opinion, we'd like to know?