Declaration of War (2012)
Average Rating: 7.5/10
Reviews Counted: 42
Fresh: 36 | Rotten: 6
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 7.4/10
Critic Reviews: 19
Fresh: 18 | Rotten: 1
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 1,452
My Rating
Movie Info
The opening night film at this year's Critics Week at the Cannes Film Festival, this exuberant and deeply moving film follows a new couple, Romeo (Jeremie Elkaim) and Juliette (Valerie Donzelli), who must face the ultimate test when they discover their new born child is very ill. Gathering their friends and family together, they confront the ordeal together as a form of warfare. Donzelli infuses the story with unexpected verve using a host of cinematic techniques, music and heartbreaking
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Jérémie Elkaïm
Romeo -
Valérie Donzelli
Juliette -
César Desseix
Adam - 18 Years Old -
Gabriel Elkaïm
Adam - 8 Years Old -
Brigitte Sy
Claudia -
Elina Löwensohn
Alex -
Michèle Moretti
Geneviève -
Philippe Laudenbach
Philippe -
Bastien Bouillon
Nikos -
Béatrice De Staël
Dr. Prat -
Anne Le Ny
Dr. Fitoussi -
Frederic Pierrot
Professor Sainte-Rose -
Elisabeth Dion
Dr. Kalifa of the IG R,... -
Laure Marsac
Auxiliary Nurse -
Emmanuel Salinger
Radiologist -
Philippe Barassat
Narrator -
Pauline Gaillard
Narrator -
ADVERTISEMENT
Declaration of War Trailer & Photos
All Critics (42) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (36) | Rotten (6)
True to its title, "Declaration of War" is a visceral, forthright visit to the front lines of battle, where superhuman courage is called for as life-or-death skirmishes turn into a long slog of survival.
Top CriticThe subject matter is as serious as can be, yet the style is vibrant, energetic and engaging -- often tense, but without a trace of woe-is-me.
"Declaration of War" movingly chronicles a unique and terrible fight: that of two parents against the cancer that has invaded the brain of their 18-month-old son.
As ponderous and overwrought as a film hogged by a couple of young hipsters named Roméo and Juliette can be.
The film may even be too upbeat, especially the ending, which is too easy and contrived. Yet there's real emotion here...
Declaration of War feels very present, very alive. And it's very much worth seeing.
The raddest Lifetime movie you'll ever see.
Touching, balanced and honest, the film imparts a life-affirming message about endurance, love and life's sudden gear shifts.
Donzelli's film is an incredibly brave one, given its subject matter and biographical nature, and is presented in a creative yet digestible way.
The underlying drama holds the film together even when self indulgence and the rawness of inexperience weakens the film
Horror movies excepted, it's the rare film that suggests the presence of a child doesn't Make Everything Better, as if by magic.
The hippest kid-with-cancer movie you'll ever see.
... feels like a parody of any number of light French comedies, one in which the most important point is that the central characters remain beautiful (and surrounded by charming and attractive friends) ...
The tonal shifts, the "Amelie"-style voiceover and the punk-retro soundtrack may jar some viewers who expect uninterrupted violins, but "Declaration of War" is alternative therapy that really works.
...the most unique 'child with cancer' movie in the history of cinema. This is an audacious film, with obvious roots in the French New Wave, particularly Godard
You can sense the deep investment Donzelli and Elkaïm have in what they're doing, which isn't something you get at the movies every day.
Taken as an assault against self-pity and sentimentality, this War puts up an involving, and ultimately thought-provoking, fight.
For all its narrative flourishes, what makes "Declaration" feel special is the intimacy and honesty of its depiction of good people leaning on each other as they try to hold it together.
Exhilarating ... a very, very good chronicle of something that can happen to anyone, and how to steer a ship when there's no turning back.
The personal weight of the story is abundant but as the title infers, Donzelli's film is not an ode to anguished soul-searching in the face of that most blunt notice of mortality.
What makes Declaration of War even more unusual is that the stars (Valérie Donzelli and Jérémie Elkaïm) and co-writers are the real-life couple who lived through this experience;
Audience Reviews for Declaration of War
Super Reviewer
I'm tempted to up my rating a little with the revelation that it's biographical, and Donzelli wrote, directed and starred in the thing, with it being based on her experiences, but I shall not. In a way, I'm glad I didn't know this before watching it.
Super Reviewer
-
- Juliette: I'm afraid he'll go blind.
- Romeo: If he can go blind, he can go deaf.
- Juliette: I'm afraid he'll go blind and deaf.
- Romeo: I'm afraid he'll go blind, deaf and mute.
- Juliette: I'm afraid he'll go blind, deaf, mute and a dwarf.
- Romeo: I'm afraid he'll go blind, deaf, mute, a dwarf, and queer
- Juliette: Or blind, deaf, mute, a dwarf, queer, and black.
Discussion Forum
There are no discussion threads for Declaration of War yet.
Latest News on Declaration of War
January 27, 2012:
Critics Consensus: The Grey is Certified FreshWhile the world of filmdom trains its sights on the Sundance Film Festival this week, there are...
What's Hot On RT
Bradley Cooper's Best Movies
Fast & Furious 6 is Certified Fresh
Fast & Furious cars gallery
Blockbusters ranked!
Featured on RT
- Critics Consensus: Fast & Furious 6 is Certified Fresh 19
- Red Carpet Photos with Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Gina Carano and More 0
- Video: The Hangover Part III Cast Interviews 0
- Total Recall: Bradley Cooper's Best Movies 37
- Parental Guidance: Epic and Beautiful Creatures 2
- Comic Book Movies You Can Watch Online 9
- In Pictures: The Cars of Fast & Furious 0
Top Headlines
-
Evan Peters Joins X-Men: Days of Future Past
0
-
Toby Jones Talks Captain America: The Winter Soldier
0
-
The Poltergeist Reboot May Actually Be a Sequel
7
-
Will Forte Promises MacGruber 2
1
-
Universal Plans Timecop Reboot
2
-
Return of the Jedi Turns 30
1
-
Vin Diesel Says Fast & Furious 7 Will Take Place in L.A.
0
Fresh Links
Featured
Star Trek Movies Ranked
HitFix offers their own take on the worst-to-best of the Enterprise crew's cinematic adventures.
Top 10 Star Trek Villains
Rolling Stone unveils the Enterprise's most irksome adversaries.
Celebrity Yearkbook Flashback
We'll bet you never realized how many stars were cheerleaders and high school athletes!
50 Most Classic Movie Moms
In celebration of Mother's Day, TimeOut offers up 50 iconic matriarchs from the big screen.
Weirdest Movie Siblings
From Twins to The Royal Tenenbaums, Moviefone explores cinema's oddest siblings.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
Foreign Titles
- Das Leben gehört uns (DE)
- Declaration of War (La guerre est declaree) (UK)
