Movie Review: Breach

Based on a true story, FBI upstart Eric O'Neill enters into a power game with his boss, Robert Hanssen, an agent who was ultimately convicted of selling secrets to the Soviet Union. The central dynamic of the movie is the double deception of aging master spy, Robert Hanssen and underling FBI agent Eric O’Neill. Hanssen is a devout Roman Catholic who betrays his country. O’Neill, a lapsed catholic skeptic, is assigned to “spy on the spy.” The acting by Chris Cooper is absolutely superb. Throughout the drama, trust is intermittently won and lost by both characters. As per Hollywood usual, there is Catholic-bashing a plenty. In the end, the young skeptic takes the moral high ground by doing in his boss.