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The Exception

Play trailer 2:18 Poster for The Exception R 2017 1h 47m History Drama War Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
75% Tomatometer 61 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
German soldier Stefan Brandt goes on a mission to investigate exiled German Monarch Kaiser Wilhelm II. The Kaiser lives in a secluded mansion in the Netherlands, and as Germany is taking over Holland, the country's authorities are concerned that Dutch spies may be watching the Kaiser. As Brandt begins to infiltrate the Kaiser's life in search of clues, he finds himself drawn into an unexpected and passionate romance with Mieke, one of the Kaiser's maids.
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The Exception

The Exception

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Critics Consensus

The Exception (The Kaiser's Last Kiss) elegantly blends well-dressed period romance and war drama into a solidly crafted story further elevated by Christopher Plummer's excellent work and the efforts of a talented supporting cast.

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Critics Reviews

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Kevin Maher The Times (UK) 10/13/2022
Philandering Nazis, saucy servants, preposterous subterfuge — there's a touch of 'Allo 'Allo! in this espionage wartime thriller. Go to Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian 09/29/2017
2/5
The ridiculousness levels are very high. Go to Full Review Ed Potton The Times (UK) 09/29/2017
3/5
The film moves at a good lick and it's directed with a light touch by David Leveaux. Go to Full Review Jason Adams The Film Experience 01/14/2022
The Exception never lets itself drown in the horror that we all know's just off-screen Go to Full Review Kip Mooney Fresh Fiction 08/10/2021
B-
A perfectly adequate World War II story that features one tremendous performance and little else. Go to Full Review Emma Simmonds The List 01/18/2021
3/5
Fuelled by strong performances and suspense, The Exception is persuasive in its belief that even the most casual cruelty can have potentially devastating consequences. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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thiago s @Thiagostone Feb 9 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Sebastian V @RT97331211 Oct 9 The war drama is very good, the movie envelops on a very interesting war romance See more Steve C @RT19610513 07/29/2025 A predictable ending. Their romance is based on doing X rated activity while she insists that they can still do their duty too. See more Paul G @RT67423558 12/29/2024 Very poor. I have no idea why Lilly James and Christopher Plummer agreed to do this what seems like a low budget, poorly made film. The romance seems very forced, the ending poor. Nothing here worth watching. See more 06/19/2024 I loved this movie. Two strong hearts, minds and wills. Great cast. Beautiful love story. See more Letícia D @RT23122658 02/25/2024 I loved its story, its cast, the performances, but the open ending left me with doubts, I want to hope for a happy ending but times were different back then. Lily James and Jai Courtney are the couple with the most chemistry I've ever seen, I want more films of them together as a couple 💖 See more Read all reviews
The Exception

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Cast & Crew

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David Leveaux

Director

Lily James

Mieke de Jong

Jai Courtney

Capt. Stefan Brandt

Christopher Plummer

Kaiser Wilhelm II

Eddie Marsan

Heinrich Himmler

Ben Daniels

Col. Sigurd von Ilsemann

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The Exception

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The Exception

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Movie Info

Synopsis German soldier Stefan Brandt goes on a mission to investigate exiled German Monarch Kaiser Wilhelm II. The Kaiser lives in a secluded mansion in the Netherlands, and as Germany is taking over Holland, the country's authorities are concerned that Dutch spies may be watching the Kaiser. As Brandt begins to infiltrate the Kaiser's life in search of clues, he finds himself drawn into an unexpected and passionate romance with Mieke, one of the Kaiser's maids.
Director
David Leveaux
Producer
Lou Pitt, Judy Tossell
Screenwriter
Simon Burke
Distributor
A24
Production Co
Ostar Productions
Rating
R (Graphic Nudity|Brief Violence|Language|Sexuality)
Genre
History, Drama, War, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 2, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 30, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$708.0K
Runtime
1h 47m
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