6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A German soldier tries to determine if the Dutch resistance has planted a spy to infiltrate the home of Kaiser Wilhelm in Holland during the onset of World War II, but falls for a young Jewish Dutch woman during his investigation.
Starring: Lily James, Jai Courtney, Christopher Plummer, Ben Daniels, Janet McTeerWar | 100% |
Period | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Mention 1940 and Nazi invasions, and chances are most people are going to think of France, and specifically those devastating images of tearful Parisians watching as the German battalions marched down such iconic thoroughfares as the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. However, about a month before those iconic images were captured by newsreel cameras, the Germans overran another country, Holland, and it’s that invasion that provides the background of the fitfully interesting The Exception. Loosely woven around real events, and certainly around real life historical figures like Kaiser Wilhelm II (portrayed by Christopher Plummer in the film), The Exception never really addresses some of the implied political subtext (other than giving lip service to a few concepts), instead concentrating on an illicit romance between a German captain named Stefan Brandt (Jai Courtney) and a maid named Mieke de Jong (Lily James), after the captain is assigned a detail supposedly protecting the Kaiser, who had moved to Holland after having lost his throne and being more or less exiled. Perhaps because of that emphasis on the love angle, The Exception never really develops any serious sense of suspense, and some of its putative surprises will be guessed by discerning viewers, most likely a good time before they’re officially revealed.
The Exception is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.38:1. This digitally captured feature offers consistently good detail levels, though the film has an intentionally gauzy appearance quite a bit of the time courtesy of effulgent light sources and actual elements like mist and fog that waft through the Kaiser's estate, things that can at least slightly tamp down fine detail levels in midrange shots. Some key scenes have been graded toward cool blue or gray tones (several examples can be seen in the screenshots accompanying this review), but generally speaking the palette looks natural and is typically very well saturated. The film benefits from a somewhat opulent production design, and detail on elements like clothing and fabrics in upholstery is often excellent. There are no problematic compression anomalies and no issues with image instability.
The Exception eschews a traditional thriller ambience a lot of the time, and so the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track has arguably fewer "showy" examples of over the top sonics than other wartime films. There is good immersion in the many outdoor sequences, where lifelike ambient environmental sounds dot the surrounds, and a couple of scenes, like the arrival of Himmler's entourage, provide good opportunities for elements like panning effects. Dialogue is presented cleanly and there are no problems with any distortion or other annoyances.
The Exception never builds up much steam as a thriller, especially when supposedly key "mystery" plot elements are just outright divulged in the early going. The film succeeds quite a bit more as the somewhat kinky adventures of two lovers caught in a world where neither is in charge of what's going on around them, or indeed of their own emotions. The film's whole political subtext tends to be muddled, but Plummer's evocation of a spiritually wounded leader trying to make sense of his world is quite effective. Technical merits are strong, and with caveats duly noted, The Exception comes Recommended.
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