This slow film about an FBI investigation into one of its own agents for espionage works reasonably well, but I would be much more interested in what really happened, a documentary. It is still worth watching though to wet your appetite for the real thing - 6 (a slow drama of subterfuge and lies).
A trainee agent, O'Neill, is sent to work as the assistant to Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper) who is a suspect for selling secrets to the Russians. O'Neill must take note of everything Hanessen does, and create diversions so that Hanessen's phone can be copied, and his car searched. He does by quick thinking, convincing lies, and with the help a large investigating team - they want to capture Hanessen dropping off secret documents. Hanessen's religion and the job causes stress and strain on O'Neill and his family.
This film is based on true story - but it really should stress the word "based". I imagine that the FBI and the characters are cliched in film because it fitted every cardboard cut-out image I have from other films. And upon looking at the case on the web, there is so much missing from this movie. Even if the real people were really just ordinary straight forward people (which they weren't), I would rather watch a documentary in this interesting case. And that is where this film fails, it takes something amazing and interesting, the biggest FBI spying breach ever,and makes it mundane and a little boring - how disappointing.
This slow film about an FBI investigation into one of its own agents for espionage works reasonably well, but I would be much more interested in what really happened, a documentary. It is still worth watching though to wet your appetite for the real thing - 6 (a slow drama of subterfuge and lies).
A trainee agent, O'Neill, is sent to work as the assistant to Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper) who is a suspect for selling secrets to the Russians. O'Neill must take note of everything Hanessen does, and create diversions so that Hanessen's phone can be copied, and his car searched. He does by quick thinking, convincing lies, and with the help a large investigating team - they want to capture Hanessen dropping off secret documents. Hanessen's religion and the job causes stress and strain on O'Neill and his family. 
This film is based on true story - but it really should stress the word "based". I imagine that the FBI and the characters are cliched in film because it fitted every cardboard cut-out image I have from other films. And upon looking at the case on the web, there is so much missing from this movie. Even if the real people were really just ordinary straight forward people (which they weren't), I would rather watch a documentary in this interesting case. And that is where this film fails, it takes something amazing and interesting, the biggest FBI spying breach ever,and makes it mundane and a little boring - how disappointing.
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