DVD Review: "Breach" (2007)

Based on a true story, "Breach" follows the efforts of the FBI to capture a double agent, played by the excellent Chris Cooper, by placing a young up-and-comer (Ryan Phillippe) in his office. Their relationship goes beyond employer and underling, and things soon get complicated as Cooper involves himself in Phillippe's personal life. This helps ratchet up the suspense, especially as case officer Laura Linney breathes down Phillippe's neck to compile the evidence needed to nab the traitor quickly and cleanly, but I have to say that I thought they could have done a better job at building the tension here - in addition to making the payoff truly satisfying - by lengthening it by just fifteen or twenty minutes, something I wouldn't advocate with most movies these days.

On the plus side is how this film covers turf wars, bureaucratic inertia and the primacy of the rule of law even as it relates to national security, something which I don't think the media properly recognizes these days. Minuses? Well, despite the gratuitous Catholic-bashing, needless partisan cheap shots and the short-cut ending, this is an above-average thriller that I enjoyed quite a bit.

Overall rating: 8/10