Breach Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		2.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Breach Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 14, 2021

If there was to be a vote for "word of the 21st century" in about 79 years, "Russia" might have to be considered to be one of the candidates. For years the news cycle has been dominated by the word in various contexts, mostly political and mostly as a weapon of attack and a place to pin blame for real, perceived, or imagined scandals. But long before the 2016 election cycle, and in the time to follow, news consumers were overwhelmed with the word on newscasts and websites and water cooler chat as it pertained to the story of FBI agent Robert Hanssen's ties to, dealings with, and traitorous arrangements made with the former Soviet Union which severely weakened America's posture against its Cold War enemy and global dominance competitor. Director Billy Ray (Secret In Their Eyes) tells the story of his capture in Breach, a smart, engaging film about the Bureau's most suspected, and suspicious, agent who is brought down by a young, eager clerk with aspirations of more within the Bureau.

A young workaholic FBI clerk named Eric O’Neill (Ryan Philippe) who aspires to rise through the ranks to become a full-fledged agent is assigned to work with Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper) who is “the best computer guy” the FBI has on payroll. He’s also a “sexual deviant.” But his technical strengths and personal weaknesses are not the Bureau’s concern. It is instead the belief that Hanssen has turned and is trading vital national interest and military secrets to the Russians in exchange for money, and that he has been doing so for years. Hanssen is incredibly smart and eerily perceptive. He can sense deception and read almost anyone – particularly his fellow FBI agents – like a book. He initially meets O’Neill with skepticism but Hanssen gradually warms to him. And O’Neill, likewise, warms to Hanssen who reveals himself to be a Godly man and a man of unshakable high moral character. In some ways he becomes a role model for the young clerk. But when O’Neill’s superior, Kate Burroughs (Laura Linney), reveals the Bureau’s true motivations in bringing Hanssen down, O’Neill doubles his efforts to get to the truth behind the man he now calls “friend.”

Breach builds high intrigue from the start as the young, ambitious, and inexperienced O'Neill must match wits with the experienced and keen Hanssen who demonstrates an uncanny ability to perceive people and the world around him as they are rather than as they present themselves to be. This dynamic is not new to cinema; Training Day did it to such success that the picture earned two acting nominations (but was inconceivably denied a nomination, never mind a win, for Best Picture). Breach is not so good as Antoine Fuqua's masterpiece but it does have the added benefit of being based on a true story rather than manufactured for effect. Certainly the film takes liberties with the story for a number of political and technical reasons but this is nevertheless a tightly wound thriller that thrives on the interplay between its characters and the way they evolve through the film, all the way to the final shot and terse exchange the men share. It's compelling cinema, very well paced, and engaging despite the known outcome; the film spoils the end in the first few seconds for anyone who missed the headlines a few years before the film's premiere.

Though its technical constructs are up to par and its story is fundamentally engaging, it's not those qualities that carry Breach to success. It is instead its leading men who define and dominate the picture. Chris Cooper delivers one of his finest roles as Hanssen, a man of whom the truth is known from the outset but who plays the part so convincingly that the audience -- and some in the Bureau, O'Neill, Hanssen's wife, maybe sometimes even Hanssen himself -- completely believes in his innocence. He's an eccentric man, yes, but is he a traitor? He's a devout man who loves God, not the money the Russians supposedly feed him. Cooper is brilliant in balancing the dueling truths of his life. He is probably, truly, such a man as those closest to him believe him to be, but that Hyde inside of him seems almost dormant for much of the runtime. Phillippe in many ways plays the audience. He understands there's some level of suspicion surrounding his target from the beginning, and while he struggles with Hanssen's personality he comes to believe that this must all be a misunderstanding. He's targeting the wrong man, maybe Hanssen upset the wrong person, maybe his crime is not so grievous as he's been led to believe. Phillippe sets aside the pretty boy demeanor for which he is known for a character who is green but grows ever more grizzled as the story progresses. He's challenged in the role but handles it brilliantly at every turn.

Breach Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Breach's Blu-ray is uninspired, to say the least. There are signs of digital processing in every shot. The picture is not completely true to its filmic roots. Grain appears to be manipulated and the picture sharpened on top of some mild noise reduction. There is also some edge enhancement in play. The picture never bears the fruit of its filmic origins. While details are not smeared away there's a phoniness to the level of sharpness and definition on display. The picture might hold to some decent foundational textures but fans should not expect a true, pure reproduction. Colors are depressed, too, flat and bleak with little life. While such appears to be the film's intended aesthetic, even would-be brighter scenes and more cheerful colors are rendered less than appealing, dull and lacking any sort of saturation excellence or tonal vitality. Black levels are never too raised but do have a somewhat flat look to them. Skin tones are a little on the pasty side. At least print wear and compression artifacts are not major concerns. If anything defines the fledgling catalogue Blu-ray release, this is it.

Breach Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Breach arrives on Blu-ray with a solidly performing, but in no way memorable, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Most of the highlights come in the form of environmental fill, which is consistently immersive and excellent. Traffic din surrounds the listener at several junctures, easily pulling the listener into several locales. Listen to a scene between O'Neill and Burroughs at the 33-minute mark; it's a rich reveal of the track's ambient prowess with a variety of audio cues surrounding the stage. Likewise, office spaces inside the FBI locations deliver similar immersion sensations with natural flair and detail and well defined feels for space. The track incorporates good essential musical cues, boasting agreeable clarity and stretch. Gunfire at a shooting range halfway through the film hits with solid authority, as do a few shots from Hanssen's revolver late in the movie. Dialogue carries the bulk of the audio needs and it is presented with steady clarity from a natural front-center location.

Breach Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Breach includes several extras, all of which must be accessed in-film via the "pop-up" menu. No top menu screen is included. Pressing the remote's "top menu" button simply restarts the film from the beginning. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

• Deleted Scenes (1080i upscaled, 12:12 total runtime): Editor Jeff Ford joins Director Billy Ray to discuss several removed scenes.
• Alternate Scenes (1080i upscaled, 5:41): A few different takes for key scenes. Again with Ford/Ray commentary.
• Breaching the Truth (1080p, 10:53): A look at the real story, the story behind the making of the movie, cast and characters, recreating a sense of realism for the film, and more.
• Anatomy of a Character (1080p, 6:51): Exploring the real Robert Hanssen and Chris Cooper's portrayal.
• "The Mole" (From Dateline 3/5/01) (1080i upscaled, window box, 19:21): A TV special focusing on the real Robert Hanssen.
• Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Billy ray and Former FBI Operative Eric O'Neill cover both the real world story and the story behind the making of the film. It's fun to have both perspectives available and the track is well worth a listen.

Breach Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Breach commands the screen with a solid, real-life story and two excellent lead performances. Unfortunately the film does not translate well to Blu-ray. While the audio is fine and supplements are worthwhile, the video quality is processed, dated, and not at all befitting the movie. Recommended only on a very deep sale. Note that Mill Creek has now released the film with nearly identical technical components and at a lower price, but without any supplemental goodies.