Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

The Exception Blu-ray Movie Review

Fifty Shades of Khaki.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman August 2, 2017

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 based on a novel by Alan Judd called The Kaiser’s Last Kiss, and, as I also recently discussed in my Voice from the Stone Blu-ray review, my sense is the source’s literary ambitions may not have been entirely translatable to the cinematic realm. When it’s disclosed that one of the sidebars to Brandt’s babysitting is to ferret out a potential spy, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who is the culprit. The film doesn’t even go to any great lengths to avoid divulging this key plot point, and in fact shows the spy going about his or her business fairly early on during the proceedings.

That leaves the opening two acts to revel more in the sensuous and perhaps slightly kinky sexual tastes of Brandt and Mieke. The two have sexual liaisons that may offend some less prurient viewers, but the film actually derives considerable energy from the kind of provocative power struggle that ensues between them. The Kaiser’s political leanings are left mostly to one liners (which Plummer delivers with appropriate relish), but then the film almost tips over into sitcom territory when none other but Heinrich Himmler (Eddie Marsan) shows up. It’s a completely odd tonal stew, to be sure, and individual reactions may depend on which particular genre interest that viewer most, since The Exception tends to wander to and fro at times without much of a goal in sight, kind of like the Kaiser himself traipsing around the immense grounds of his Holland estate.

As odd as the film tends to be, there’s more of a traditional thriller ambience that unfolds surprisingly late, after certain secrets are revealed (secrets which again about as predictable as who the spy is). That casts Brandt and Mieke in endangered lovers mode, with the Kaiser seemingly not as addle pated as might have been assumed. It’s yet another tonal detour for the film, but director David Leveaux doesn’t dwell on some of the rote elements long enough to cause lasting concern, and the film’s relatively brisk pace allows it to plow forward even when obstacles are in the way (more or less like how the Nazis dealt with the Maginot Line).

I didn’t know this until I started researching some background in preparation for the writing of this review, but I guess there has been a considerable “can’t stand Jai Courtney” community building over the past few years. I never found him particularly objectionable (in an acting sense) in the The Divergent Series, and I similarly found little to complain about him in this film, since the character he’s playing has his emotions seemingly stuffed down into some nether regions for the bulk of the film. Lily James is also fine as Mieke, bringing an appropriately coquettish quality to her interactions with the Kaiser, and something a good deal more seductive in her interactions with Brandt. The film’s screenplay is perhaps the film’s biggest challenge, never seeming to know where it needs to be tonally, and so flailing about at regular intervals.

The Exception seems to be aiming for a kind of high falutin’ intellectual ambience at times, something that seems to be disconnected from elements like the film’s depiction of an almost cartoonish Himmler. That leaves some of the supposed acerbic political subtext largely by the wayside, with the relationship between Brandt and Mieke taking center stage. As a star-crossed lover escapade, The Exception manages to deliver some good drama and some undeniably salacious material (full frontal nudity for both major stars, in case anyone is wondering). As a political thriller, it never quite hits the bullseye, instead meandering off into more titillating territory, which may in fact be a an easier target to hit.

The Exception Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Director David Leveaux


• Behind the Scenes of The Exception (1080p; 19:32) is a standard EPK that does feature some good behind the scenes footage.

The Exception Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.