Breach
Though real life espionage
is not as glamorous as a James Bond spy flick it is still just as intriguing
when combined with solid writing and adaptation.
Most government work is
accomplished behind a closed door and rarely on an Alpine ski slope or
speed boat in Greece. Therefore you have to develop a story with
characters riveting enough to hold our attention. A change from the normal
Hollywood onslaught of boobs and bullets. Mission accomplished.
Billy Ray directs the new
political drama "Breach" starring Chris Cooper, Laura Linney, and Ryan
Phillippe in which yesterday's headline becomes
today's blockbuster.
Breach exposes the
two weeks leading up to the arrest of FBI mole, Agent Robert Philip Hanssen
(Cooper). Hanssen had been spying for the Soviet Union and then for Russia
since the mid '80's trading his secrets for cash and diamonds. The FBI
never had enough evidence to arrest Hanssen so they used one of their own
to help bring him down. Eric O'Neill (Phillippe) is an FBI newbie with
a desire for an Agent title. When assigned to the case he can't
understand what the FBI
could possibly want with Hanssen, until the truth comes out. The FBI has
been trying to nail this guy for years and it all rests on the shoulders
of O'Neill. Makes me not hate my day job so much.
I respect the fact that even
though this film is based on actual events and you know from the start
how it ends; the writing and direction make for a
twisty thrill ride from
the opening credits until the snap of the cuffs. It's decent story telling
which is key. If you read the same facts in a CNN article you will be asleep
before the second paragraph. But a clever story teller takes the same event
and keeps you in the mix the entire time. Keep in mind that solid writing
needs solid acting. Luckily all three leads deliver emotional, straight
forward performances. Cooper is always brilliant and this time he blends
hard nosed agent with moments of softness that make you second guess the
truth of what you already know. We are a week away from handing out Oscars
for 06 and I am already thinking of a possible 07 nod for Cooper.
Breach is Rated PG-13
for violence, sexual content and language. None of which is gratuitous
or vain repetition. This is elemental movie making in
smooth form and all the
pieces fit nicely together. There are no smoke and mirrors. Nothing fancy
to draw you away from the story. There is confidence
in the writing and they
allow that to be the foundation for perfect acting performances. There
have already been a run of bad films this year and Breach was a
nice change of pace and hopefully will set the tone for the rest of this
movie year. I spy with my little eye, 4 out of 5 stars. With a look at
Breach, I'm Matt Mungle.
The Mungle (02/15/07)
Matt is a member of the North
Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) and hosts the weekly syndicated
Indie Rock Radio Show Spin 180. Plus with his
wife Cindy they do a weekly
radio feature, The Mungles on Movies. For additional reviews and interview
clips visit the website www.mungleshow.com
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