Rent Breach (2007)

A captivating spy thriller taking place within FBI headquarters - Breach review by Philip in Paradiso

Eric O'Neill, a young and ambitious FBI employee who is starting in his career at the Bureau, is instructed to work undercover as a clerk to Robert Hanssen, a senior agent who was previously in charge of the Russia Desk within the FBI's Intelligence Division. R Hanssen (Chris Cooper) is suspected of being a sexual deviant. Hanssen is close to retirement age and seems disenchanted with the bureaucracy and mentality at the FBI. He never fails to underline the importance of his Catholic faith. E O'Neill struggles to find anything remotely concerning in his work but is told to investigate further by those he reports to within the FBI.

The film is, essentially, about R Hanssen: who is he, really, and what is it that makes him tick? Is he a threat to the FBI, or is he merely misunderstood and undervalued, because he has never wanted to play office politics during his long career at the FBI? The film is also about the ambiguous relationship that develops between R Hanssen and E O'Neill: the junior 'clerk' turns into a hunter, whose mission may have huge implications for his 'boss'.

The movie is well-constructed. It is entirely focused on E O'Neill's investigation. There is something of a game of chess going on between E O'Neill and R Hanssen, as each one is trying to outsmart the other, eventually. Who can you trust? And R Hanssen does not trust anyone. There is a lot of suspense in the movie, which is entirely based on historical events. (You can read about R Hanssen on Wikipedia after watching the film.) The film is almost cerebral in some ways: there are no fireworks to speak of. It is not an action film. It is a subtle and ruthless game of cat and mouse.

Overall, it is a very good film I would recommend.

A subtle thriller with an engaging story. - Breach review by CP Customer

Based on the true story of Robert Hanssen, a 58 year old middle ranking FBI agent who in February 2001 was charged with espionage after selling classified information to the Russians, Breach is an account of the series of events which led up to the exposure of the worst case of treason in the history of U.S intelligence. Told from the point of view of Eric O’Neill, a young ambitious junior officer anxious to become a full FBI agent, who is recruited by FBI investigators to gather information on Hanssen who he is told is secretly under investigation as a sexual deviant. Assigned to Hanssen under the guise of his new personal assistant, all O’Neill finds is a highly opinionated, boastful and often bigoted man who is also devoutly religious. Questioning his role in what he sees as a pointless investigation on a man who is due to retire in a years’ time, O’Neill is told the truth about a continual flow of espionage which they believe has gone back over 15 years. The film is unusual in the sense that the outcome is revealed within 30 seconds of the start of the film, and the story then retells the previous two years leading up to Hassens arrest. Much like Director Billy Ray’s previous film 'Shattered Glass' the story is essentially about ego and how a man passed over for higher profile jobs found other means of making himself feel important and as someone who matters. This is a gently paced thriller which bypasses any over the top action scenes and relies purely on the strength of the story and its lead characters. Overall, this is a well written and directed thriller with great acting and thoroughly engaging from start to end.