FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Breach [DVD] [2007]

Breach [DVD] [2007]
enlarge	Director: Billy Ray Actors: Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Kathleen Quinlan, Gary Cole, Laura Linney Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Category: DVD List Price: ~~£19.99~~ Buy New: £3.49 as of 21/11/2009 18:44 GMT details You Save: £16.50 (83%) New (15) Used (9) from £2.36 Seller: twentyfiveorless Rating: 13 reviews Sales Rank: 12773 Format: PAL Language: English (Original Language) Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over Region: 2 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 110 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5039036036528 ASIN: B00115QGO2 Theatrical Release Date: 2007 Release Date: March 31, 2008 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Editorial Reviews: Amazon.co.uk Review Is a mystery really mysterious when the end isn't a secret? Is espionage still thrilling when you know beforehand that the cloak has been pulled back and the dagger revealed? If it's a film as good as iBreach/i, the answer is a resounding yes. Here is a true story that's genuinely stranger than fiction: FBI agent Robert Hanssen spent over 20 years selling government secrets to the Russians, making him the most egregious traitor in U.S. history. He was an Opus Dei Catholic and a devout churchgoer who was also a sexual deviant, a straitlaced company man so trusted by his employers that they once appointed him to lead an investigation designed to reveal who the spy was--when in fact it was Hanssen himself. And in the end, he was brought down in part by 26-year-old Eric O'Neill, an agent-in-training who worked with him for just two months. Chris Cooper, a 2003 supporting actor Oscar winner for iAdaptation/i, is brilliant in the lead role, playing Hanssen as a dour, cold, ultra-conservative cypher (women in suits are just one of his peeves) whose conversations more closely resemble interrogations. Ryan Phillippe is also excellent as O'Neill, who's initially kept in the dark by the superior (Laura Linney) who assigned him to help expose Hanssen's treachery; thinking he's been brought in only to gather evidence about his boss's sexual transgressions, O'Neill finds himself caught in a profound moral conundrum, grudgingly admiring Hanssen even as his own marriage is severely tested by the older man's creepy and hypocritical intrusion into their lives, not to mention the FBI's strict rules against discussing the case. p/p Director Billy Ray (whose previous feature was also a true story: iShattered Glass/i, about the young writer who fabricated stories for The New Republic) and co-screenwriters Adam Mazer and William Rotko do an extraordinary job of maintaining the tension as the story leads to the conclusion that's been revealed in the first few frames (i.e., Hanssen's arrest in February 2001); the exquisite torture of O'Neill's having to keep Hanssen distracted while Bureau technicians search the latter's car is but one example. Moreover, notwithstanding the plot developments, the filmmakers manage to keep their focus on the personal interactions that are the film's key element: the relationships that O'Neill maintains with Hanssen, his father (a cameo by Bruce Davison), his wife (Caroline Dhavernas), and others are entirely credible. At once fascinating and horrifying, iBreach/i is inarguably one of the best films of 2007. i--Sam Graham/i

Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 13 1 2 3 Next » A Sleeper Hit March 3, 2008 deadteddy (Bridgend) 25 out of 25 found this review helpful What a brilliant film, saw this just a few days ago and to be honest I wasn't really expecting a whole lot from it. After only seeing the first 20 mins I had completely changed my mind and knew that this was going to be engaging, entertaining and intelligent. br / br /Chris Cooper is superb as a rogue FBI agent Robert Hanssen while Ryan Phillipe is captivating as the new kid on the block brought in to keep an eye on him. br / br /If you like thrillers and intelligent films then this is certainly for you and is certainly made more interesting knowing that the events in the film are based on reality. This isn't a glitzy hollywood bombs and car chase film this is the tension building thriller that has a good story to tell with characters that you care about. I recommend this film very highly. Low fidelity May 1, 2008 Peter Collier 13 out of 13 found this review helpful Chris Cooper stars as an ageing FBI officer with a dark secret, and Ryan Phillipe as the young agent aiming to uncover it. It is based on the true story of the treacherous agent Robert Hanssen, the most dangerous mole ever to be employed by the US government. br /Unusually for a modern thriller, the director employs lingering shots and builds up the tension without using fast edit techniques so that we focus on the characters and not just the action. br /The spare, uncluttered interiors are reminiscent of Hitchcock's film "Vertigo" or of scenes from the work of artist Edward Hopper, where lonely figures inhabit barely furnished rooms. Whether this was the director's intention or not, the sparsely-populated sets serve to keep the viewer focused, even transfixed, upon the characters, rather than their surroundings. Thus our absorption with them means that we are drawn into the story, so that we ourselves move from being spectators and are drawn into the hushed and secretive world of cold war espionage. br /The title Breach signposts the major theme of trust within personal and corporate relationsips. This is not only seen in Chris Cooper's character and the betrayal of his country but also in Ryan Philippe as he, under orders, builds a close (almost father-son) relationship with his superior as a means of gathering information on his activities. Philippe's character, taken under the wing of his colleague and even welcomed into his home, then struggles with his own betrayal of their friendship. Meanwhile, sworn to secrecy and unable to tell his wife of what is happening, he finds his own marriage under stress as her trust of him starts to crumble. br /Another strong theme in this film is religion, for the spy Robert Hanssen is portrayed as a devout Roman Catholic, although other activities in which he is involved belie the integrity of his statement "God expects you to live your faith". His young colleague is a lapsed Catholic and this serves to personalize their relationship as the younger couple is invited to join him and his wife at mass and later at their home. In this area, however, the viewer is left to draw his own conclusions as to the relevance or otherwise of the main character's religiosity. br /A fascinating tale, aided by Chris Cooper's magnetic central performance. br / A Great Film February 9, 2008 J. WILLIS (Grimsby, UK) 2 out of 3 found this review helpful This is a great film - I saw it last year, a few days after watching The Good Shepherd. br / br /They couldn't be more different - where I found The Good Shepherd wandered and seemed to go nowhere, Breach has great characters, a strong plot and is well executed. br / br /Chris Cooper in particular is superb. br / br /I can't remember the exact details of the film, but I'm looking forward to seeing it again, which for me is the mark of a great film. Intriguing, captivating and memorable December 9, 2008 K. Maloney (Kildare, Ireland) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful A spy thriller without any action yet an interesting tale of 2 men in the midst of america's greatest traitor case in recent times. Im not going to describe the story in detail but I just wanna point out the outstanding performance from Cooper. An actor usually associated with similar roles to this but never given a lead role to show the depth he can bring to roles and characters like 'amoral agent' types like Rob Hanssen. The final scene in the elevator where O Neil sheepishly stares at the man he betrayed is truly memorable and i give this 9/10. br / br /The single blemish is Phillipe's acting at times which can be hammy. It looks sometimes like hes told to act a certain way sometimes rather than getting into character and portraying, as opposed to acting a role...I guess thats what a director is there for but it adds to a movie if the characters empathise with their roles in my opinion. Classic case of the ol generic good looking guy/girl 'we'll make him a star' casting. br / br /Great story carries everyone through. I wasnt really excited by the plot outline before watching because i thought it would be a stereotypical political thriller but its a movie more about characters and their complexities and role conflicts than an indictment of spying or anything. GIVE IT A CHANCE and watch it. 9/10 Love this movie September 3, 2009 M. Wheeler (South London, England) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful The central character in this movie, the traitor himself, is a totally fascinating person: nasty, barbed, mean and cruel. If this is indeed true to life, then it is a wonder that he was not uncovered much earlier. You would think that it would not take much to convict a traitor, but the FBI eventually have to spend millions of dollars and waste tens-of-thousands of FBI manhours to nail him. This is a very ejoyable movie: well acted, directed and scripted. It deserved to do better at the box office. Much of it will leave you open-jawed in rapt astonishment as the tale unfolds. Showing reviews 1-5 of 13 1 2 3 Next »

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