Declaration of War (2011)

Simply Perfect

Please don't spend money on this.

Absolutely the worst movie.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

a puzzle from many, many crumbs. subtle performances. a real story. and fascinating definition of love. a film about family. about hope, angry, relatives. about expectations, cries and decisions. about the innocence. and about the sacrifice as basic ingredient of fight. about lost feelings and too high expectations. about the reflection of the other in yourself. a special more than beautiful film. strange and delicate. convincing in a manner who has the gift to remind new forms of the well known things. a film as testimony. and as poem about a war who changes all. a war who transforms and becomes the map for gestures, words and beginnings. a film about a couple against the ambiguity of the evil, and about a presure's form who transforms everything.

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!

@ 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

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.)