REEL CRITICS:Tense game of spying and deceit

Robert Hanssen is the notorious FBI agent who sold out the nation’s secrets to the Russians for money, diamonds and revenge. Ignored by his superiors and overlooked for promotion, he began to use his razor-sharp mind to play a deadly game of cat and mouse at the highest levels of international espionage. His revelations cost the lives of several double agents who were executed after he revealed their identities to the KGB.

Chris Cooper gives a bravura performance as Hanssen in “Breach.” His tight-lipped portrayal reveals a man whose moral confusion and twisted psyche are beyond normal understanding.

Eventually, his boss begins to suspect that he is the longtime mole within their ranks. Ryan Phillippe plays the computer whiz assigned to be Hanssen’s assistant specifically to spy on his every move.

The screenplay centers on the tense interplay between these two men who have so much at stake in the outcome. The story is really a personal psychological drama with spy-thriller overtones lurking in the background.

It’s quietly suspenseful with no James Bond nonsense. It may disappoint some viewers expecting a lot more flash and bang, but it’s a rewarding look at the inner workings of the spy-catcher business.

JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office.

A movie a minute: Lots of flops in local theaters‘GHOST RIDER’

Newly buff Nicolas Cage is Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stunt driver who makes a deal with the devil (Peter Fonda). His head lights up in a blaze of gory in the presence of evildoers. I thought my head might explode as the lame plot droned on and on. Unless you’re really into cheesy comic book action or under the age of 25, this movie is not for you.

‘NORBIT’

Eddie Murphy plays the wimpy title character and his living-large bully of a wife, Rasputia. Norbit meets up with his childhood sweetie (Thandie Newton) who’s engaged to the two-faced Deion (Cuba Gooding Jr., whose 1997 Oscar win has now officially become a career footnote). All the latex in the world can’t make this mean-spirited movie funny. If Murphy should find himself making an acceptance speech at the Oscars, maybe he should include an apology.

‘VENUS’

A modest film that showcases the Oscar-nominated Peter O’Toole’s elegant style. If you remember the gorgeous actor from “Lawrence of Arabia,” you will be shocked at how time has ravaged this 74-year-old Irishman. He plays a famous actor who falls in love for the last time with a surly, self-absorbed young girl (Jodie Whittaker). Their unlikely friendship is a little creepy, but look for a lovely scene where he and his ex-wife (Vanessa Redgrave) make their peace.

‘THE LIVES OF OTHERS’

Finally, a movie worth paying full price for. This German production is up for best foreign film, and while Mexico’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” deserves to win the Oscar, this movie will stay in your mind for days afterward. Set in East Germany in the days when making a small joke to the secret police can get you demoted to a dreary job in a basement (or worse), this film is a mesmerizing blend of political thriller and love story.