Movie Recommendation: Breach

Title: Breach
Year: 2007
Starring: Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillipe, Laura Linney

Synopsis: A film about the investigation into and ultimate apprehension of Robert Hanssen, an employee of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who sold state secrets to the Soviets and later the Russians from 1985 until his arrest in 2001. The film is told from the perspective of Eric O'Neill, a young FBI operative who was assigned as a clerk to Hanssen as part of the investigation.

What's Different: It is an almost unsettlingly quiet film. The suspense is not contrived, but rather a natural result of the gentle unfolding of the story. In addition, the details of the film are wonderfully aligned with the sense of personal tragedy -- dull, overcast skies; dull, drab government office buildings.

Will Kids Like It?: Probably not ... the film is too slow. But if you have a slow, quiet evening by yourself, and you're looking for a quiet, mostly intelligent film that unfolds somewhat like a chess game, then you may enjoy this.

What I Liked About It: First, it was filmed in and around where I used to live, so it brought back memories. The quiet nature of it allowed me to relax into the story line. Loud, aggressive action films unsettle me too much. But most of all I liked the portrayal given by Chris Cooper as Robert Hanssen. He projected the subtle sense of a man deeply ensnared, but fueled by some deep resentment towards ... what? ... insufficient recognition of his qualities and contributions? That was never explicitly stated, but rather the viewer was left to piece together the psychology for themselves.

Believability Factor: It's based on a true story, so to that extent it's believable. The film itself does little that requires suspension of belief. It is mostly very plausible, with little to no continuity or logical breakdowns.

Miscellaneous Commentary: There is always talk in the gossip rags about how Hollywood actresses that are over 30 face increasingly few roles, and over 40 actresses are essentially cast aside. Demi Moore of late has been complaining rather loudly. But Laura Linney in this film shows that there can be roles for older women, provided the role doesn't call for them to be sexy sirens. (An older woman can't plausibly play the role of a 20-something siren. Then again, a 20-something actress can't plausibly play the part of a powerful female executive or detective or whatever ... in the real world such power is not possessed by people so young ... but Hollywood overlooks that.) British films are much better at employing older, less glamorous women in satisfying roles. Hollywood is too beholden to the cult of youth.