Despite some strong performances, The Exception is hampered by a nagging sense we’ve it all before.
The Exception is directed by David Leveaux, and written by Simon Burke, based on the novel “The Kaiser’s Last Kiss.” It stars Lily James, Jai Courtney, Christopher Plummer, Ben Daniels, Janet McTeer, and Eddie Marsan.
The Exception is a drama and work of historical fiction set during World War II. While one of its primary characters is the very real Kaiser Wilhelm II (Plummer), Germany’s last emperor, the story it tells is highly fictionalized. It concerns Captain Stefan Brandt (Courtney), a German solider tasked with investigating the Kaiser’s mansion in the Netherlands for potential spies. He takes up residence in a cabin nearby to conduct his investigation. Before long, he is in a relationship with one of the Kaiser’s maids, Mieke de Jong (James), who is secretly a Jew.
While World War II stories are a dime a dozen. This one is unique in its setting and focus. You don’t see a lot of World War II movies set in the Netherlands, or that feature Kaiser Wilhelm II. Beat for beat though, it’s all fairly rote. Romance, intrigue, violence: these are all pretty standard ingredients, and they feel borrowed from older, better stories here.
There are definitely sparks though: moments where the film transcends its clichéd plot and truly feels alive. The undeniable highlight of the film is Christopher Plummer’s performance. He is funny, lively, and full of vim as the Kaiser. He conveys a sense of wisdom and bemusement, as though he knows something the other characters don’t, but doesn’t feel the need to tell them just yet. He is also wounded, betrayed by his exile and fall from grace, dismayed about the direction his country has taken. Plummer makes this all painfully clear and authentic.
Jai Courtney and Lily James also share real chemistry here. Their sex scenes are surprisingly frank and sensual, and you get a good sense of these people’s sheer physical attraction to one another. James in particular shines at embodying the complexity of her character: the shifting motives and buried resentment. Courtney carries his role admirably enough but it’s not too difficult to imagine a number of other actors who could have put a more distinctive spin on the character.
The film is distributed by A24, a company whose logo has become something of a Pavlovian trigger for me. They are the most consistently excellent distributor of independent films in the game. Last year they put out 20th Century Women, Swiss Army Man, The Lobster, Green Room, The Witch, and the Best Picture-winning Moonlight. The Exception sadly does not quite fit into this category. There are performances and scenes that sizzle, but the film never rises above “decent.”
-Anthony Calamunci
Christopher Plummer attends the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival After Party For “The Exception” presented By AT&T’s DIRECTV at White Street on Wednesday, April 26, 2017.
PHOTO CREDIT: Brad Barket/Getty Images
