Stephanie Tuttle

Staff Writer

Espionage, or spying, is a practice of obtaining information about an organization or a society that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information.
It is highly possible that the biggest threat to our country is right under our noses.
Computers hold the keys to every person, place, thing or idea ever dreamt.
Do you really feel safe knowing that the most highly trained and skilled technicians in our nation have access to those keys?
What if you found out that there have been members of our government toying with this information and selling it to our enemies?
Would you be shocked to know that since the year 2000 there have been at least eight of these “keyholders” arrested and convicted of such crimes?
Robert Hanssen, a former FBI agent, was arrested in 2001 for conspiring with Russia for 15 years providing over 6,000 pages of classified U.S. documents and the identities of three Russian agents working for the United States.
“Breach,” directed by Billy Ray (“Flight Plan”), tells the story of how Hanssen was discovered and arrested for his crimes.
Hanssen, played by veteran actor Chris Cooper (“Syriana”), spent most of his career working in the counterintelligence department of the FBI to uncover crimes of his own doing.
FBI upstart Eric O’Neill, played by Ryan Phillippe (“Crash”), is recruited as Hanssen’s clerk and is required to monitor his actions and whereabouts, which eventually contribute to his arrest and conviction.
Chosen for his similar interests and religious background, O’Neill falls into the rabbit hole as he learns more about his target, and is conflicted about the believability of the charges and suspicion.
Kate Burroughs, played b y Laura Linney (“Man of the Year”), leads the Hanssen investigation and constantly pressures O’Neill for more information.
Quick thinking, smooth composition and fancy footwork finally pay off when O’Neill gains access to Hanssen’s personal information and his trust.
He eventually realizes that dancing with the devil isn’t what he imagined it would be, and after Hanssen is arrested, he quits the FBI.
Written by Adam Mazer and William Rotko (“Super Troopers”), “Breach” is an eye-opener of a story.
Moving a little slow in the beginning, the film draws you into a tangled web of lies, betrayal and emotional turmoil ending with the destruction and devastation of two lives.
It is a surprisingly deep film that shows the emotional torment of both suspect and detective.
Remarkably well-written and directed, “Breach” is an Oscar potential.