BREACH — *** — Ryan Phillippe, Chris Cooper, Laura Linney; rated PG-13 (profanity, sex, violence, vulgarity).
On the surface, "Breach" seems to have a lot in common with the recent Robert De Niro-directed thriller "The Good Shepherd."
Both films are spy tales based on true stories. And both are character-heavy — so much so that they're more dramatic than suspenseful. Yet the well-acted "Breach" is by far the better, more watchable of the two films — and not just because it's nearly an hour shorter than the other one.
It's better-focused than "The Good Shepherd," and its story is more interesting. After all, it is based on the fairly recent, real-life case of Robert Hanssen, a veteran FBI agent convicted of selling U.S. intelligence secrets to the former Soviet Union.
The role of Hanssen proves to be a meaty one for character actor Chris Cooper ("Adaptation," "Seabiscuit"). In this version of events, Hanssen has just been pulled in from active duty and reassigned to FBI headquarters.
He also has a new assistant, eager-beaver agent wannabe Eric O'Neill (Ryan Phillippe). Unbeknownst to Hanssen, O'Neill is supposed to spy on his new boss and jot down his daily activities.
However, O'Neill's superiors haven't told him why he's doing so.Consequently, he befriends the prickly veteran, who begins taking an interest in his protege's personal life.
As he did in the 2003 drama "Shattered Glass," co-screenwriter/director Billy Ray really tries to get inside his characters' heads.
That means a slightly slower pace than some audiences may be used to. And it's definitely not an action piece. But it's worth watching for Cooper, as well as Phillippe, who turns in one of his best performances to date as the conflicted O'Neill.
That's not meant to slight the contributions of the terrific supporting cast, which includes Laura Linney, Dennis Haysbert and Gary Cole as FBI investigators, Kathleen Quinlan and Caroline Dhavernas as Hanssen and O'Neill's spouses, and Bruce Davison (in a brief turn as O'Neill's father).
"Breach" is rated PG-13 for strong sexual language (including one usage of the so-called "R-rated" profanity and crude slang terms), simulated sex (mostly overheard) and gun violence (shootings and target practice). Running time: 107 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com