Movie #365 - Breach

Breach
2007 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 50 min
Director: Billy Ray
Starring: Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Lauran Linney, Caroline Dhavernas, Gary Cole, Dennis Haysbert, Kathleen Quinlan, Bruce Davison

Intrigue and espionage are always more interesting when the story's based on true events.  This one charts the true life take down of the biggest internal FBI spy ever.  And Chris Cooper plays the character with such duality you'll be confused how you feel about him by the end... yeah, he's a spy, but is he really so bad?

Ryan Phillippe is uneventful and unremarkable here - I feel like you could lift him out and put just about anyone in his play.  Jake Gyllenhaal. Tobey Maguire. You get the idea.  Laura Linney, however, gives a great performance here. And oh hey, it's the boss from Office Space!

Anyway, if you're into this type of movie, this is a great effort that's worth watching.  Scary that it's true, but good that we caught the guy, right?

Movie #140 - Cruel Intentions

Cruel Intentions
Columbia TriStar
1999 - Rated R - 1 hr 37 min
Director: Roger Kumble
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair, Joshua Jackson, Swoosie Kurtz, Christine Baranski, Tara Reid

Ah, twisted rich kids and their sex games.  Based on the French novel, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, but with teenagers, this movie could have easily turned into a parody.  Thanks to its cast, however, the weird and complicated "bet" between two step-siblings actually works. It seems a bit excessive, but what else is there to do when you're rich, lazy, and oh-so-sexy?

Reese Witherspoon is adorable, even more so than her adult self just because of how petite and cute she is.  Actually, I think this is where she got together with Ryan Phillippe.  And a pre-American Pie, pre-plastic surgery nightmare Tara Reid is also pretty cute.

So this movie is weird, but it works. And, damn it, it's actually pretty sexy.