Breach (2007)
80%RT Audience Score: 70%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Powered by Chris Cooper’s masterful performance, Breach is a tense and engaging portrayal of the FBI’s infamous turncoat
Breach is like a game of cat-and-mouse, but with less fur and more FBI agents. It’s not your typical spy thriller, but it’s got enough intrigue to keep you on the edge of your seat. The performances are understated, but that just adds to the tension. And let’s not forget about Chris Cooper’s performance, which is downright astounding. Sure, it may be slow-paced, but that just gives you more time to appreciate the meticulous details and body-language suspense. Just don’t expect to learn anything about Hanssen’s activities, because this film prides itself on not being able to explain anything.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Universal
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Fitzgerald, Georgia, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language throughout and some bloody violence
Year of Release
2007
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 50m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 16, 2007 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 12, 2007
Genre(s)
Biography/Action
Keyword(s)
starring Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Laura Linney, Dennis Haysbert, Gary Cole, Bruce Davison, directed by Billy Ray, written by Adam Mazer, William Rotko, Billy Ray, biography, action, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Derek Malcolm, Anthony Quinn, David Gritten, Peter Bradshaw, Wendy Ide, Trevor Johnston, Matt Brunson, David Walsh, Heather Huntington, Nick Rogers, Matthew Pejkovic, PG-13, Universal, produced by Bobby Newmyer, Scott Strauss, Scott Kroopf, espionage, FBI, traitor, spy, true story, investigation, secrets, Russia, tension, thriller, subdued, slow-paced, character study, psychological subtext, melancholy, thoughtful, subdued performances, cat-and-mouse, understated, intriguing, intelligent, FBI’s infamous turncoat, engaging portrayal, masterful performance, tense, compelling, unpredictable antagonist, chillingly effective, charismatic, layered presence
Worldwide gross: $39,328
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $44,880
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,088
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 4,894
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Ryan Phillippe – Eric O’Neill
Laura Linney – Kate Burroughs
Dennis Haysbert – Dan Plesac
Gary Cole – Rich Garces
Bruce Davison – John O’Neill
Director(s)
Billy Ray
Writer(s)
Adam Mazer, William Rotko, Billy Ray
Producer(s)
Bobby Newmyer, Scott Strauss, Scott Kroopf
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (177) | Top Critics (61) | Fresh (148) | Rotten (29)
Breach is slow, but never ponderous, and not at all like your average spy thriller. It has less obvious thrills and more depth.
August 31, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Derek Malcolm
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
A sombre game of cat-and-mouse. What it lacks in genuine tension it amply compensates in the understated performances of the two leads.
August 31, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Anthony Quinn
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Intriguing and intelligent, Breach may be too understated for its own good.
August 31, 2007
David Gritten
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
An interestingly told tale: melancholy, thoughtful, and very un-American.
August 31, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Despite a couple of tense set pieces, the suspense needed to ignite this film is disappointingly lacking.
August 31, 2007 | Rating: 2/5
Wendy Ide
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Tense, fascinating, worthwhile.
August 31, 2007 | Rating: 4/6
Trevor Johnston
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Cooper works hard to provide any psychological subtext to the story behind the headlines.
February 19, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
Breach sheds no light on any of the potentially fascinating material. … The film prides itself on not being able to explain anything about Hanssen’s activities.
February 14, 2021
David Walsh
World Socialist Web Site
February 9, 2011 | Rating: 8/10
Heather Huntington
ReelzChannel.com
The pulse of spy films so rarely comes from such meticulously detailed verbal and body-language suspense. Here, every conversation is a possible trap, inquiries feel like interrogations, responses and reactions could be lethal tells.
September 25, 2010 | Rating: 4/4
Nick Rogers
The Film Yap
An espionage thriller which focuses on strong character development, performances and setting, Breach could have been a contender had it not been for the ill informed depictions of the characters Catholic faith.
July 6, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
Matthew Pejkovic
Matt’s Movie Reviews
…a slow-paced character study that benefits substantially from Chris Cooper’s downright astounding performance…
November 7, 2009 | Rating: 2.5/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews…
Plot
On the cusp of fatherhood, a junior mechanic aboard an interstellar ark to New Earth must outwit a malevolent cosmic terror intent on using the spaceship as a weapon.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Chris Cooper’s performance in Breach is described as “masterful” by Fresh Kernels.
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