palabras TOM STEIN

Breach is a solidly effective film about the final months of the investigation and capture of Robert Hannsen (Chris Cooper), focusing on Hannsen’s relationship with Eric O’Neill (Ryan Phillippe) an assistant planted to spy on him.

Hannsen, an FBI lifer and the worst spy in American history, was arrested in early 2001 after selling secrets to the Soviets and Russians for more than 20 years: secrets that resulted in the death and imprisonment of American agents and billions of dollars of economic loss.

Eric O’Neill is a young, ambitious, newly married, FBI investigator, gunning to make "Agent." Suddenly, he is pulled off assignment to become Hannsen’s assistant. O'Neill is told Hannsen is a sexual deviant and that the FBI is concerned his predilections will cause embarrassment. He is not initially told that he is part of a 500 person task force dedicated to catching Hannsen "in the act" of selling secrets.

Hannsen while arrogant, harsh, opinionated and deeply (bordering on fanatically) religious, has appeal and charm as well. O'Neill becomes drawn to his new boss, at least until he is told the real reason for the investigation. There is a decidedly "Donnie Brasco" feel to Breach as O’Neill subsumes himself into Hannsen’s life, leading to tensions in his own personal life.

One of Breach's strengths is that it does not over dramatize. In truth, there is not that much "going on:" there is no mystery as to who the mole is, nor is there an immediate piece of information that needs to extracted from Hannsen to avert disaster. The FBI has "got their man," they just want to catch him in the act so they can use the death penalty as leverage to get him to reveal his own secrets. That's significant, but it doesn't have the same immediacy as Jack Bauer trying to avert a nuclear explosion.

But this is real life and director and co-writer Billy Ray does an excellent job in making the events seem more real than the typical spy thriller, while also maintaining appropriate levels of tension and interest.

Of course, dramatic licenses are taken. The real Eric O’Neill ― who participated in the making of the movie ― does not play as significant a role as his movie counterpart and certain scenes between O’Neill and Hannsen are imagined. Some of these dramatic tools are annoyances, such as the awkward and bulky pager O’Neill’s handlers use to contact him, which screams out "hey, I’m a plant" (while the FBI’s competence has been severely questioned over the last few years, I can’t believe they are not that stupid). Nevertheless, the dramatic licenses are not over done, keeping the sense of reality that is Breach’s strength.

The performances are strong. Cooper again shows himself to be a master at taking on a difficult character. Hannsen may not be quite as much of a challenge as the backwoods orchid thief he won an Academy Award for portraying, but this complex and rich character again demonstrates his impressive range and believability. O’Neil is a simpler character with fewer dimensions that, because he does not go so far undercover, is not as complex as Johnny Depp’s Donnie Brasco, or DiCaprio’s character in The Departed. Nevertheless Phillippe gives a strong, effective and believable portrayal.

Ultimately, Breach occupies a useful niche as a well done, enjoyable, at times tense, movie that blends real life drama with character exploration.