 May
2007
This month's reviews/features:
Breach
I Spy
In Luke 18:9-13, Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the
Tax Collector: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a
Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and
prayed about himself: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men
– robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” But the tax
collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven,
but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Jesus’ portrait of the Pharisee could describe infamous American
spy Robert Hanssen almost to a T. Outwardly Hanssen appears to be
the complete man of God: he prays visibly and says things calculated
to convince others he’s a kind super-patriot who always has the best
interests of America at heart. Inwardly Hanssen is rotten, one of
the most notorious spies in U.S. history. His capture by the FBI in
2001 is chronicled in Breach, a fascinating and
excruciatingly tense picture that’s well worth your dollar.
Here’s the gist of the movie: Young FBI inductee Eric
O’Neill is a rather cocky young go-getter who’s dying to be promoted
to the rank of agent. His boss, Kate Burroughs, knows this and
assigns him to be Robert Hanssen’s new assistant, with the special
charge to watch Hanssen with an eagle eye in order to catch him
“making a drop” for the Russians. He must win his confidence and
allay his suspicions, no mean task since Hanssen is the consummate
spy who misses almost nothing. It’s no secret that O’Neill succeeds
in his quest; the film opens with a clip of Attorney General John
Ashcroft announcing Hanssen’s capture shortly after the inauguration
of President George W. Bush. Nonetheless, Breach is a
nail-biter, perhaps all the more powerful because we know the
outcome.
Veteran character actor Chris Cooper is a standout as Hanssen,
and Ryan Philippe and Laura Linney perform the roles of O’Neill and
Burroughs with great skill. The picture is just long enough to hold
our attention completely while taking us on a roller coaster ride.
Most importantly, Breach asks a number of important
questions: Who are the people who are charged with protecting us
from foreign threats? Are they to be trusted? Are people what they
appear to be on the surface? Most significantly, who is really
following the Lord? One of the most touching scenes in the film
occurs when O’Neill sees the handcuffed Hanssen in an elevator, and
Hanssen implores O’Neill, “Pray for me.” Hanssen, like the Pharisee
in Jesus’ parable, is not cynical but seems to believe he has done
the right thing.
Caution: Breach is rated PG-13; it’s not for
children or younger teenagers. There are a number of profanities and
misuses of the Lord’s name, along with suggestions of sexual
deviancy on the part of Hanssen. If you can get past those
unfortunate missteps, you’re in for an exciting ride.
Rating: 3 ¼
stars
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Index of movie
reviews...
(2003 reviews through present)
Jay Maurer, a member of West Side Presbyterian Church, is
a long-term movie buff and former college teacher of The Film as
Literature. He has written movie reviews for The Good News
(West Side newsletter) since 2002.
If you have comments or questions
about the movie (or play) reviews, please contact Jay at
dramachap@msn.com.
Ratings are expressed in
increments of ¼ star.
A rating of 2 ½ stars or higher is meant to be a recommendation.
1 star: poor
2 stars: minimally satisfactory
3 stars: quite good
4 stars: superb
Criteria for determining the ratings:
- Reflection, either explicit or implicit, of Christian values,
including suitability of language and lack of gratuitous violence
- Quality of the acting
- Originality
- Unity of the entire picture
- Substance, or in the words of C.S. Lewis, weight
Other Christian movie review Web sites:
Plugged In Online
ChristianityTodayMovies.com
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