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For more than twenty years, Robert Philip Hanssen, an FBI counterintelligence agent, betrayed the United States. And as he's paying for his crimes with a prison sentence that will last the rest of his life, director Billy Ray is telling his story on the big screen.

Ray made a strong impression with his first film, Shattered Glass. In that film, Hayden "Vader" Christensen played a similarly crafty fellow, Stephen Glass, who made up stories and sold them as arresting features in The New Republic; and Peter Sarsgaard played the editor who eventually exposed the crook. In Breach, Ryan Phillippe plays the agent who discovers Hanssen's deceit and strives to expose him.

The film notes the strange contradictions in Hanssen's life. Even though he went through the motions of Catholic faith, the things he did behind closed doors spoiled his integrity and endangered the nation.

The film is earning high praise as a thriller of rare intelligence, driven by admirable performances from Chris Cooper (The Bourne Identity, Lone Star) and Ryan Phillippe (Flags of Our Fathers).

Christian Hamaker (Crosswalk) says, "Breach is an example of a strong studio film powered by high-caliber acting, open to differing interpretations. It's a movie for older teens and adults to see and discuss—a cautionary tale about the perils of power and greed, and the deceitfulness of the human heart."

Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service) says the movie is "deliberately paced, but ultimately delivers on suspense …" He adds, "There is secondary interest for Catholic viewers in Hanssen's staunch commitment to Catholicism—and to Opus Dei (mentioned only briefly in the film)—though given the unsavory aspects of his personality, the connection is more unfortunate than not. … Still, the church scenes are reverently presented, and the religious commitment of the principals … is shown to be sincere."

Marcus Yoars (Plugged In) calls it "a slow-moving, slow-building introspective thriller that, like a 25-year FBI veteran, is concerned more with nuance—the minutia of Hanssen's day-to-day life and that of those chasing him—than exploding bombs and nail-biting chase scenes. … Chris Cooper and Ryan Phillippe splendidly deliver that nuance. And Ray offers an intriguing, albeit permeable, character study of those whom our country's security so delicately rests upon." But Yoars also thinks that the characters' bad language and the film's brief sexual content should steer viewers away from it.

Michael Brunk (Past the Popcorn) says Breach was "interesting enough to be entertaining. Like The Good Shepherd before it, this movie shares with the audience a different perspective on patriotism and the cost that the men and women who work in the shadowy world of our intelligence agencies often pay in the performance of their duties. It also serves as a reminder that the real enemy isn't always the obvious one."

Mainstream critics say it's a refreshingly intelligent thriller, more challenging than dazzling.

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