I thing that the best way to describe this film is "a real and credible story so well narrated". The acting was marvelous and the music memorable. So delightful to see, and again, very credible. It takes the subject of that sickness on a very mature an natural way so this it's not the kind of Hollywood movie where you feel sad, but you can't feel close to the characters.If you compare it with My Sister's Keeper, another movie on a similar subject, you will note that Declaration of War seems more realistic and dramatic. It also remember us that life is not made but superheroes, We are real people, full of a fears and insecurities.Very recommended!

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 is an incredible movie. Just imagine: two young people are attracted to each other, live together happily until they realize the child they have had happens to suffer from a particularly malignant brain tumor, a fact abruptly plunging them into a terrible four-year ordeal, leading them to breakup because of the hardships inherent in the situation, only to..., some time later,... make a film out of this excruciating experience! And not only do they write the story and direct (at least the woman) but they play their own characters as well, carefully replicating a reality that almost destroyed them. How courageous, how daring! A move close to sheer madness... How on earth can one go through the pangs of such an unbearable ordeal... TWICE? And how the devil can one make such a luminous film, able to deal with such a risky subject without falling into the many traps it contains? And how can one manage to give people hope and confidence by talking about death during most of a film? Well, miracles exist, since Valérie Donzelli (director, writer, main actress, makeup artist and hair stylist!) and her former life companion Jérémie Elkaïm (co-writer, main actor) have done just that with "La guerre est déclarée", giving an example that such a feat is within the realms of possibility.They manage this achievement by immediately finding the right tone and by never falling out of tune afterward. A winning principle announced in the title "Declaration of War", for both the characters are seen fighting instead of crying and moaning. This does not mean they never express their suffering - how could they help it? - but it is the dynamics of their struggle that is put forward, not the apathy their grief and anxiety are likely to generate.Valérie Donzelli is to be given special credit for her inspired direction. Not only does she pour her heart and soul into the filming of this painful chronicle but she also proves imaginative and creative, making use of an amazing variety of registers, devices and techniques which wind up making this movie unique: incongruous gags including during the most dramatic times; classic documentary (the way the little boy is treated in turns in Marseilles, in Paris and in Villejuif); original montages; inspired use of musical pieces creating the unexpected but effective cohabitation of Vivaldi, Delerue and pop music; resort to musical comedy (with the characters occasionally singing their feelings); use of metaphor (Juliette's disjointed run through the hospital corridor). And those examples are only a sample of all the personal touches Valérie Donzelli brings to this exceptional work.Never indulging in pathos or sentimentality,"La guerre est déclarée" nevertheless contains very moving scenes or sequences, my personal favorite being the one in which the unfortunate couple, unable to find sleep on the night before their son's operation, tell each other their fears to best calm their fears.A great shock, but a salutary one, "La guerre est déclarée", both the sincere account of a personal drama and a talented work of art for all, is one of the year 2011's masterpieces.

This film is the story of a couple whose only son (Adam) is diagnosed with cancer, but it's by no means a weepie, as from very early in the film, we learn that Adam pulls through. So, what does this leave us with? Well, perhaps more interestingly, the movie becomes more about Roméo (Jérémie Elkaïm) and Juliette's (Valérie Donzelli) struggle to stay together. With knowledge of Adam's safety in the bank, we can concentrate on the two main protagonists, and whether they will be able to survive as a unit.The film is also scripted by the pair, and directed by Donzelli, and it must be said, they are a remarkable duo. Their on-screen characters are very likeably played, if a little saccharine sweet while they fall in love in the first twenty minutes. However, while some of the early musical interludes might jar a little, they don't feel entirely out of place with the scenario. Their relationship forms the beating heart of this movie though, and they play off each other beautifully, gradually winning the audience round, and permitting forgiveness for the conceit of their characters' names!Bringing a rather sudden end to the romantic beginnings, new baby Adam arrives on the scene, and all is not rosy in the garden from very early on. Parents beware, the quarter of an hour that gradually builds up to Adam's diagnosis is as genuinely affecting a movie sequence as I can remember from any recent movie outing (and I'm only an uncle!)And from there it becomes about coping, about managing, and about survival. As I said, the audience is blessed with the foreknowledge that the couple do not have, so we're in a privileged position, but as Roméo and Juliette soldier on, rising to every new challenge and facing up to every fresh heartbreaking piece of news, you are still right there with them. Their support networks too, play an important role in the movie, but really this is the story of Roméo and Juliette's struggle to survive.If cinema is about escapism, then 'Declaration of War' will certainly transport you, placing you right in the middle of this young couple's lives as they battle with something you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.I can't recommend it highly enough for lovers of French film, or possibly even just for parents who need a reminder of how lucky they are. It's bordering on stereotypical, picture-postcard French in the opening twenty minutes as the two central characters tombent amoureuses... but kind of suits the mood and is perhaps intentional. Two excellent central performances make it very watchable, but an excellent narrative device elevates this story from a traditional weepie into entirely more interesting territory. A real contender for the Oscar next March.