Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Breach / USA / 2007

It’s fascinating how the perception of a film can often hinge upon the execution involved within a specific scene. In the case of Billy Ray’s Breach, the scene in question is a critical confrontation between treacherous traitor Robert Hanssen, played by Chris Cooper, and his presumed protégé Eric O’Neill, played by Ryan Phillippe. The success of the entire scene, involving Eric urgently attempting to persuade Hanssen that he has not betrayed Hanssen’s trust, relies heavily upon Phillippe being able to make the viewer believe that he is capable of lying convincingly. In essence, Phillippe must prove to his audience that he can act. Unfortunately, the scene disintegrates once Phillippe’s performance descends back into the usual flimsy, whiney, puerile expressions he so often recycles that he has so far been able to avoid.

Sadly, Ray’s film suddenly crumbles at this moment, which is unfortunate considering the director has been able to construct a respectable, restrained, and mature spy “thriller” up to this point. Aided considerably by the script’s subplot involving Hanssen’s Catholic devotion, Ray seeks to enhance Hanssen’s duplicity by creating various parallels throughout the plot, mostly involving weaker scenes based around O’Neill’s marriage, but also incorporating scenes that casually imply Hanssen as having become a deceitful deviant, thus underscoring how the mundane villain has defected from all the institutions he once dedicated his life towards. Thankfully, Ray exerts more control over his final scene, which I must say is a fitting way to conclude his modest film.

by Chiranjit Goswami | Source: Universal Pictures DVD
31 Jul 2007 5:59 PM | Submit Comment