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Breach
Matt's Review below
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 ìBreachî 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.
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Matt and Cindy are members of the North Texas Film
Critics Association (NTFCA). For additional reviews
and interview clips visit the website.
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Mungleshow Productions
Matt Mungle
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