Breach

Starring: Heavyweight actors Laura Linney and Chris Cooper (No, they're not fat. For once, I'm using this word to describe ability, not appearance.) Ryan Phillippe (Ex-Mr. Reese Witherspoon)

This movie was actually pretty good. I usually hate the whole government-conspiracy, government-espionage type movies, but I was pretty impressed with this movie. Of course, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back impressed me, too, so I don't know how much that comment's worth.

Anyway, the movie's about this old, soon-to-be retired FBI perv (Cooper) who this young, ambitious, soon-to-be FBI agent (Phillippe) has to keep an eye on to prove his worth. His boss (Linney) tells him that he'll be assigned as the old geezer's clerk, but really, he's there to check up on him and take notes. Supposedly, they suspect Cooper of being involved with the Russians and giving them U.S. top secret info. The fact that he's been working so long for the FBI and is considered one of their smartest intel agents makes matters worse. Phillippe is assigned to get the goods on him and try to bring him down. The dirty old man's also supposedly a "sexual deviant," selling homemade porn of himself and his wife doing the humpty-dumpty to interested buyers. To be honest, that part really seemed insignificant in the movie, but it caught my attention. Actually, maybe they needed it to contradict the disciplined, religious image he portrayed to everyone. Funny how sexual deviancy and religious fanaticism seem to go hand in hand.

At first, youngblood wonders why he's following Ron Jeremy around when the guy just seems like a grumpy old man who loves going to church. He knows his way around computers and he belittles Phillippe every chance he gets. You can tell the old man's paranoid, but it seems more like an OCD character flaw than proof of evildoing. Phillippe begins to question his boss and wonders aloud if they're just trying to give him a $hit assignment to keep the old guy and him out of everybody's hair at the Bureau and/or test him. Later, he finds out the truth.

This movie is good because of the acting and the suspense. The budding relationship between Phillippe and Cooper is where the movie makes its money. It's kinda like A Few Good Men where the action is in the intense acting. No special effects. No blowing people away. Well, maybe the wife. Actually, hardly any of that either. It's just a well-made movie with some superb acting about a time in our history that the U.S. government would rather forget. Oh yeah, forgot to tell you. This movie is based on a true story. Maybe I should've said that at the beginning. Well, at least they do, at the beginning of the movie. Like I said, it's a pretty good movie. If you like all that FBI-government stuff, it'll be even better for you. I give this movie two boys and a priest...