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Pretty Good

Excellent but underrated film

As Good As It Gets

Absolutely the worst movie.

Roméo and Juliette are young actors in Paris. They meet at a club, and fall in love. He has a single mom living with her girlfriend. She has a middle of the road family. The couple has baby Adam but they notice that something is wrong. The doctors eventually discover that he has a brain tumor. They are devastated and they struggle through the difficult situation.For all the personal drama, there isn't as much tension as one expects. It isn't melodramatic but there are a couple of incidences where the actors feel like overacting. The drama is never that dramatic but it is a great little slice of life. There is no medical breakthrough or large world implication. The couple isn't doing anything over the top. It's simply life poured onto the big screen.

@ 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 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.