29. The Exception (Undtagelsen); movie review

 

 

THE EXCEPTION (UNDTAGELSEN)

Cert 15

115 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong violence, threat, self-harm, sex, images of real dead bodies

Those Scandivanians certainly know how to make a thriller. The Exception is clever - twisting, thought-provoking and utterly compelling. 

Mrs W and I couldn't disagree more with the negative user reviews we have seen on the Internet Movie Database.

I have also read an accusation of sexism made against the director and scriptwriter. I have to report that Mrs W did not recognise that either.

We are agog at how Jesper W. Nielsen's movie manages to weave together a narrative about horrible office bullying, post-traumatic stress disorder and international war crimes.

In many hands, it would be a convoluted mix but Nielsen handles it skilfully and has a superb cast to see the job through.

Sidse Babett Knudsen plays Anne-Lise - a librarian who has been transferred to a small unit which specialises in documentation and research of genocide.

Anne-Lise suffers horrible psychological bullying at the hands of three colleagues - two of whom have ironically written extensively about persecution.

Indeed, one (Danica Curcic) endures post-traumatic stress disorder after being kidnapped and tortured in Kenya.

Meanwhile, her best friend and close colleague (Amanda Collin) is struggling to come to terms with progressive arthritis which causes her constant pain and anxiety.

Their assistant (Lene Maria Christensen) has her own interesting back story and sides with them in the increasingly bitter squabbles with Anne-Lise.

And then death threats are sent to the trio by email, leaving them pointing the finger at their distressed colleague and sparks a series of explosive events.

The brilliance of The Exception pivots on the persecution of Anne-Lise. Our natural instinct is to feel that she is at the centre of a terrible injustice but her behaviour allows for a shaft of doubt.

Knudsen is superb in the role of a woman who is determined not to lose her grip despite constant efforts to unsettle her and dreams of revenge.

She is complemented by three women on top of their game and a script which keeps the audience guessing from start until finish and maybe beyond.

We loved The Exception and are surprised it hasn't received greater acclaim.

Reasons to watch: Superbly crafted original thriller

Reasons to avoid: Upsetting real images

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Off-screen

Nudity: Yes

Overall rating: 9/10

Did you know? In 2013, the prosecutor’s offices of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia signed protocols enabling the free exchange of war crime cases, investigations and case documents. Despite the fact that several cases have been exchanged and processed, very few against high-ranking suspects have been successfully transferred to neighbouring countries’ jurisdictions.  On top of that, numerous suspects have never been arrested, nor have proceedings been brought against them.

The final word. Jesper W. Nielsen: "I cannot contain my excitement over having to work with four such strong and talented actresses in a story about man's darkest corners. Together we must dive into a fascinating universe of women, with extremely exciting and complex characters who not only lie to each other, but also to themselves. An unfortunate mix that gives evil free rein."

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