The Exception

"One duty. One desire. One decision."

2017 1h 47m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 482

WarDramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Nothing is as it seems in this riveting World War 2 thriller as a wary soldier goes to investigate a mysterious German monarch at his secluded mansion, leading him into a web of deceit and a dangerous love affair with a local Jewish woman.

“One duty. One desire. One decision.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Lily James
Mieke de Jong
Jai Courtney
Capt Stefan Brandt
Eddie Marsan
Heinrich Himmler
Christopher Plummer
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Janet McTeer
Princess Hermine 'Hermo' Reuss of Greiz
Daisy Boulton
Secretary
Ben Daniels
Col Sigurd von Ilsemann
Stéphane Auberghen
Frau Linnenkamp

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: David Leveaux
Writers: Simon Burke
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America, Germany, Belgium

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 9 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America, Germany, Belgium.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by David Leveaux, shot by Roman Osin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ilan Eshkeri. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Nicolas Gaster shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Lily James and Jai Courtney and Eddie Marsan carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "One duty. One desire. One decision.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt4721124 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

David Leveaux directs. Roman Osin behind the camera. Ilan Eshkeri scores. Nicolas Gaster cuts. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America, Germany, Belgium. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 9 years ago.
2International production across 4 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America, Germany, Belgium.
3Directed by David Leveaux, shot by Roman Osin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Ilan Eshkeri. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Nicolas Gaster shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Lily James and Jai Courtney and Eddie Marsan carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "One duty. One desire. One decision.".
8IMDB entry: tt4721124 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "based on novel or book", "nazi", "world war i", "resistance".

The technical file

Cinematography: Roman Osin
Original score: Ilan Eshkeri
Editing: Nicolas Gaster
Production design: Hubert Pouille
Costume design: Daniela Ciancio
Makeup / hair: Frank van Wolleghem
Sound: Alek Goosse
Stunt coordinator: Ron Sleeswijk
Runtime: 107 min · 1h 47m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $708,973
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Exception (2017)

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David Leveaux

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Gimly2017-12-09
★ 5/10
Mismarketed as a spy thriller, The Exception is nothing more than a romance movie, a romance that has certain obstacles to be sure, but most any romance put to screen does. The Exception is well acted, (which may come as a surprise to some people when it comes to Jai Courtney) but oddly made. There are certain presentation choices that seemed very bizarre to me, but not dealbreakingly so. Final rating:★★½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole.
Reno2018-02-04
★ 8/10
A look at the German Royal family during the WWII. A book based film, partially inspired by the real, but I really loved. In the backdrop of the world war two, it focused on the German royal family, Kaiser. An officer sent to protect him during the nazi Germany's invasion of Europe, possibly from the spies. So during his stint, all events that unfolded were revealed to us with a twist at the end. The twist was predictable, so they did not hide it for the perfect moment and to make the film entirely rely on it. What's important is it was more a straightforward narration. Though there were some tense moments. Overall a great drama. I did not know what to expect, whether a thriller or romance, but it mixed them all together nicely. Of course, Jai was good, and so Lily James, but I was very impressed by Christopher Plummer. This film was awesome because of this 88 year old Canadian actor. Directed by a newcomer, and he did his part nicely. One of the fine addition to the world war two related dramas. It has a strong sex scene, otherwise would have been fit for all. Definitely I suggest it if you're interested! 7.5/10