Declaration of War
Seen it?2011 | 100 min | Drama
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (86% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who loves a strong drama. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 40 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Roméo and Juliette are two young actors. They fall in love at first sight, move in together and make a baby. A love story and the founding of a home like millions of others. Except that their little boy, Adam, behaves abnormally. The young parents try hard to persuade themselves that everything is okay but, with the passing of time, they cannot delude themselves anymore: their son has a problem. From now on, war is declared. A war against illness. A war against Death. A war against despair.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
86% on Rotten Tomatoes, 73 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.0 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
8 wins and 8 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$8 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 4K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Valérie Donzelli
- Valérie DonzelliJuliette
- Jérémie ElkaïmRoméo
- Gabriel ElkaïmAdam Benaïm à 8 ans
- Brigitte SyClaudia Benaïm
- César DesseixAdam Benaïm à 18 mois
- Elina LöwensohnAlex
- Philippe LaudenbachPhilippe
- Bastien BouillonNikos
- Béatrice de StaëlGhislaine Prat
- Michèle MorettiGeneviève