In case you haven't watched Stop Making Sense or The Third Man on DVD last week (you silly bean, you went out and rented Norbit or Because I Said So, didn't you?)Breach hits DVD shelves this week, and has been lingering in my head ever since I saw it back in theaters in February. It is director Billy Ray's excellent follow up to his 2003 film Shattered Glass which featured a whip-smart yet seriously flawed character in Stephen Glass, who outwitted everyone with his fake articles at The New Republic.
Ray was definitely on my cinematic radar, and it's nice to see that he's developing a true style with his work in Breach. He follows his dynamic and flawed characters with the true story of FBI boss Robert Hansen (Chris Cooper, who still has Oscar possibilities with his amazing performance), who sold secrets to the Soviet Union. The film follows new agent Eric O'Neill (Ryan Phillipe, excellent here) as he is assigned to track him.
Breach is not just a cat-and-mouse game, but an interesting study on the ethics and personalities of two men, one of which is a seasoned professional who is tired and weary after years of experience, and the other who is young, vulnerable and still has his heart in all of it. The film unfolds slowly and calmly, but it must to keep with the emotional weight of these characters.
I am currently finishing up an article on the best films of 2007 to date, and Breach is on the list. This is a tense and well done drama that I hope will find a bigger audience on disc.
Also out on DVD is the Glastonbury documentary, so if you want to get your rock on and have a good sound system to do so on, then by all means.
Jason
efilmcritic.com
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