At the beginning, I didn't want to see this movie, even if I read it tried not to be just a sad movie about a couple and their poor kid suffering of cancer. The movie is sad, even if end in a fairly good way, but it's bearable. But it also shows that life in this circumstances should also be positive or least one has to make an effort to make the story positive.Said this, this movie moved me almost to tears, imagining the poor kid, even if the movie never shows his suffering.And it's a movie that shows normal people, with a normal life, facing a tragedy. It could also be a movie that shows again we never have to give up and loose hope, but well, that's a true statement.

@ 36th Hong Kong International Film FestivalBy being the opening film of the 36th Hong Kong International Film Festival, Declaration of War is a film that touches the audience hearts, but more importantly it talks about real humans, real events, real emotions and real surroundings. For that alone director and main actress deserves a simple round of applause. It is not easy to go through a traumatic experience and come out strongly by telling her life story through films. This film works because the director never stray away from its core issue of a couple dealing with their child having a brain trauma and all the other issues that goes along with it – losing money, jobs, lifestyle, relationships and ultimately themselves. It should be complimented that the film yet is about to play with a sense of humor along the way.Valerie Donzelli not only carries the film as the mother and wife, but directs a film that is so personal to her. It was my honour to meet such a strong lady at the festival. In the scene where she ran and ran in the hospital corridors until she collapses is a perfect example of originality in her camera work and her ability to depicts and communicate a difficult moment. Likewise her former partner Jeremie Elkaim excels in a role that compliments Valerie and two display amazing chemistry that cannot just be manufactured.All in all, Declaration of War is very much a personal film, about how a child's illness can affect almost everything in his parents life. Dealing with difficult times like these is never easy and often the wear and tear will stop any couple from living their lives. Points should be given to Valerie for being able to so convincing portray these emotions. Although the film seems raw at times, War is very much a perfect example of how an extremely personal film can still affect the audience. While the film may never be a masterpiece, Valerie have certainly created and shared something special…Neo rates 8.5/10www.thehkneo.com

French actress, screenwriter and director Valérie Donzelli's second feature film which she co-wrote with her co-star Jérémie Elkaïm, is inspired by their own personal experiences and is a French production which was shot on various locations in France. The film was produced by Edouard Weil, premiered at the opening night of the International Critic's Week at the 64th Cannes Film Festival in 2011 and was the French submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards in 2012. It tells the story about Romeo and Juliette who after meeting at a nightclub in Paris, France falls in love and starts a promising relationship. Juliette becomes pregnant, gives birth to their son who is named Adam and their prospects seems very good, but when Adam becomes ill and is taken to a doctor who discovers a tumor in his brain, their lives are transformed and they are faced with an unpredictable and uncontrollable situation.Acutely and engagingly directed by Valérie Donzelli, this well-paced, compassionately narrated and deeply humane tale which is set in Paris, France 2003, draws an inventive portrayal of a young Parisian couple who when confronted with a devastating predicament decides to remain strong and battle it out in their own remarkable way. While notable for it's naturalistic urban milieu depictions, the fine cinematography by cinematographer and actor Sébastien Buchmann, the quick-witted dialog and the brilliant score which emphasizes the films poignant atmosphere, this character-driven and dialog-driven comedy-drama depicts two intertwining in-depth studies of character and examines themes like interpersonal relations, parenting, cancer, love and human courage.This somewhat adventurous, charmingly romantic and at times musical-like independent film, is impelled and reinforced by the heartfelt and involving acting performances by second-time filmmaker Valérie Donzelli, French actor Jérémie Elkhaïm and the fine supporting acting performances by French actor Frédéric Pierrot and César Desseix in his first feature film role. An emotionally moving and life-affirming love-story which gained, among other awards, the award for Best Actor Jérémie Elkaïm, Best Actress Valérie Donzelli and Best Film at the Gijón International Film Festival in 2011.

This film tells a story, lets you feel what it would really be like to live through these events. There's no detectable "message" nor "moral of the story". BUT even though the film itself doesn't lean that way, I couldn't help mulling over some larger social issues (and a few scenes in the film, although unremarked, contributed).The cost of preserving a human life was wrecked personal finances, losing ownership of an apartment, a good marriage, a couple careers, and several of what should have been the best years of a couple lives. (The film doesn't dwell on these things, but it does report them. A credit card gets cut up. They create a nice meal in their imaginations. An offhand remark reports the loss of the apartment. And so forth.) Was it worth it? And why was the burden laid almost exclusively on one small nuclear family rather than on a larger community? The state apparently paid for all the medical care (better than in the U.S.). But no state help was available for avoiding personal bankruptcy or for saving apartment ownership. Was that the best deployment of resources?(Also, unconnected to the child's sickness, the film mentions that both parents had considerable trouble finding work. Some career aspirations on both sides were dashed. And there's even a suggestion the situation was so bad that Juliette took work in a different town several hours away.)