Ryan Philippe has improved as an actor in every film. This one is no exception. This time, he is an employee of the FBI, who is assigned the task of investigating and helping to arrest the most dangerous spy ever to infiltrate the FBI, Robert Hanssen, who is played by Chris Cooper, in a nuanced performance. Caroline Dhavernas, who plays Ryan's wife, is also convincing.
Besides being a top information officer in the FBI, Robert Hanssen was a notorious spy for the Soviet Union in the seven year period right before the "Evil Empire" fell apart in 1991. Hanssen was directly responsible for the exposure and deaths of several turncoats inside the KGB. In exchange for the information, Hanssen (like Aldrich Ames before Ames' arrest in 1994) was paid hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of dollars by the Soviets. Having almost reached mandatory retirement age in the FBI, Hanssen was finally arrested in 2001. Hanssen was later sentenced to life in solitary confinement in a federal prison.
The film has splendid cinematography of various scenes in the Washington, D.C., area. The plot is arresting and dramatic. Fascinating details concerning the inner workings of the FBI, including office politics and jealousy, are explored.
Those who work in the FBI are shown to be under a lot of pressure and ambivalence with strict rules and austerity. Perhaps, this is necessary in a taxpayer-supported government agency. But, this bureaucratic and financial pressure may be a factor in the large number of turncoats that appear in the American law enforcement and intelligence agencies, from time to time.
Besides being a top information officer in the FBI, Robert Hanssen was a notorious spy for the Soviet Union in the seven year period right before the "Evil Empire" fell apart in 1991. Hanssen was directly responsible for the exposure and deaths of several turncoats inside the KGB. In exchange for the information, Hanssen (like Aldrich Ames before Ames' arrest in 1994) was paid hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of dollars by the Soviets. Having almost reached mandatory retirement age in the FBI, Hanssen was finally arrested in 2001. Hanssen was later sentenced to life in solitary confinement in a federal prison.
The film has splendid cinematography of various scenes in the Washington, D.C., area. The plot is arresting and dramatic. Fascinating details concerning the inner workings of the FBI, including office politics and jealousy, are explored.
Those who work in the FBI are shown to be under a lot of pressure and ambivalence with strict rules and austerity. Perhaps, this is necessary in a taxpayer-supported government agency. But, this bureaucratic and financial pressure may be a factor in the large number of turncoats that appear in the American law enforcement and intelligence agencies, from time to time.