Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

Intriguing spy drama.The true story of the sequence of events that lead to the arrest of Robert Hanssen for espionage in 2001. Hanssen (played by Chris Cooper) was a senior agent at the FBI. An agent-in-training, Eric O'Neill (Ryan Phillippe), is hired as Hanssen's assistant, in order to keep tabs on him. O'Neil is initially not told of the true nature of the investigation. Once he finds out, however, the layers of deception increase and he soon finds himself in danger.An interesting, well told story, directed by Billy Ray, director of the even-better Shattered Glass. Starts quite dryly and in bit unfocused a fashion. This is probably deliberate, as initially O'Neill is not too sure of his mission and nothing really happens. However, after a while the pieces fall into place and we have a reasonably tense drama.Solid performances from Chris Cooper and Ryan Phillippe in the lead roles. Good supporting cast that includes Laura Linney, Gary Cole and Kathleen Quinlan.

Low-Key, Matter of "Fact", and Extremely Subtle Telling of the Last Days of FBI Traitor Robert Hanssen with Chris Cooper Giving a Riveting, Universally Praised Performance in Director Billy Ray's Followup to the Underrated and Equally Good "Shattered Glass" (2003).Ryan Phillippe and Laura Linney Add Support but it is Cooper's Film Hand's Down. He Manages to Chill and Attract Sympathy for a Manipulative and Hypocritical Turncoat that Sold Out His Country on Misguided Principles, the Money was Secondary.The Real Soviet Expert and FBI Spy was a Mentally Disturbed Individual No Doubt and Cooper Brings that Dementia to the Screen with a Stare that Disarms. Eric O'Neill the Newly Assigned Clerk Sent in to Keep a Watch on Hanssen, is Played by Philippe as a Naive Newbie Who Learns Quickly (he must for survival) What it Takes to Steer the Always On Guard Advisory and it Mainly Involves Family and Religion.Overall, This is an Insider's Account of an Internal Investigation and it May Seem Dry at Times with Virtually No Action, but Suspenseful and Mysterious. It's the Characters and Dialog that Move the Movie and in That Regard it is Compelling and Never Boring.Note...Robert Hanssen made much of the "Turf Wars" and lack of inter-agency cooperation throughout his career. This proved prophetic in that was considered one of the main reasons for the failure of America's Intelligence Agencies to foresee the 9-11 attacks.

Here's a film with all the usual suspects of a stylish cat and mouse thriller: agents, double agents, entrapments, liars and loyalties... But as it turns out, these are mere accessories to a script which itself is a weak psychological portrait of an aging spy who doesn't really seem to be fooling anyone after all. Despite my love for Chris Cooper, his all-important character never quite feels dangerous or cunning enough to bring the audience to the edge of their seats. Plus, the writing is relatively flat for this genre - no twists, no complications, no surprises. Not that we always need to be shocked by the turn of movie events, but the plot never develops past the first motivation, to convict "the worst traitor in U.S. History." But we know he is. It's a true story, we already know the basic details. This movie fails to find the drama beneath the account. On the other hand, despite its mediocrities, the movie is still not bad. The camera-work is clean and subtle, the characters are not uninteresting, the acting works... A six star achievement. I only wish I had been convinced by the film that these events had the magnitude for a more dramatic realization.

'Breach' is one of those rare movies that just gets better and better the more you watch it. Based on the true story of the worst security breach in U.S. history, it is a captivating, enthralling tale that proves that truth truly is stranger than fiction.First off, the movie succeeds at keeping us guessing and wondering, even though we already know how the story ends. Not an easy feat. Secondly, the film is a unique blend of a spy thriller and a character drama. While it is a movie about a spy, it's not a "spy movie" by standard stereotype. There are no car chases or shootout scenes. Instead, the film uses a more low-key type of suspense, which engrosses viewers through its realism--and possibly creates an even greater tension that way.The third element of the film is the casting/acting. All the actors fit their roles perfectly. Chris Cooper embodies Robert Hanssen, portraying a very complex villain objectively and with sensitivity. His performance was seriously overlooked by the Academy. If he can win for "Adaptation" (which was a great performance but, in my opinion, inferior to this one), he should have at least received a nomination for this one. Ryan Phillippe does a fine job as the film's protagonist, portraying the rookie pulled in all directions, struggling with life, trust, marriage, and wondering what his next move should be. Laura Linney is superb, as always, giving a tough performance as the agent in charge. She does have a few lines with a sort of dry sense of humor, which adds a bit of a light touch to an otherwise deep and serious film. The rest of the supporting cast is excellent as well and fit their roles perfectly.The fourth (and possibly strongest) aspect that makes 'Breach' succeed so highly is its portrayal of Robert Hanssen. A great deal of that is owed to Cooper, but the filmmakers also had a hand in it. Hanssen is not demonized. Although his actions are grave and at times repulsive, we are shown a tender, family-oriented side of him. He is also seen as a faithful church-goer who probably does believe his religion, but his actions and choices make him very complicated to understand. In the end, we feel everything from disappointment to repulsiveness to confusion to fascination and, yes, even pity toward his character. Maybe not pity for him, per se, but pity for the fact that his actions had such dire consequences on so many people.All-in-all, a well-rounded film that is sure to stick with you long after the end credits roll. To those who feel that this film was slow or boring, you obviously were expecting something else or either can't handle a more realistic spy movie. Sure, high-octane spy films are great, but it's the mesmerizing true stories that truly shine.