Declaration of War
A young French couple turns the ordeal of their son’s brain tumor into a fierce, intimate campaign to preserve love, family, and hope.
Overview
A poignant tale of love and resilience in the face of unimaginable challenges.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- urgent
- intimate
- heartbreaking
- reflective evening
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as a powerful, energetic, and emotionally affecting account of young parents confronting childhood cancer, supported by strong performances and inventive direction.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The parents explicitly frame their son Adam’s malignant brain tumor as a war against illness, death, and despair.
Roméo and Juliette’s romance, domestic life, and youthful vitality are set against Adam’s diagnosis and treatment.
Juliette and Roméo must sustain their family and partnership while confronting Adam’s brain tumor.
Donzelli and Elkaïm wrote the screenplay together and lead a highly personal story about young parents and their child’s illness.
Films like Declaration of War, and why
The Son's Room
emotionally direct French drama about young parents confronting a child’s serious illness, balancing anguish with vitality
Our Children
intimate family drama centered on parental love, medical crisis, and resilient emotional bonds
The Intouchables
French relationship drama combining romantic intimacy, family pressure, and a frank yet warm tonal register
50/50
stylized contemporary drama about love, illness, and endurance with an energetic, formally inventive approach
Movie Details
- Director
- Valérie Donzelli
- Release Date
- 2011-08-31
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (216)
Cast
- Valérie Donzelli
- Jérémie Elkaïm
- Gabriel Elkaïm
- Brigitte Sy
- César Desseix
- Elina Löwensohn
- Philippe Laudenbach
- Bastien Bouillon
- Béatrice de Staël
- Michèle Moretti
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Declaration of War about?
- A young French couple turns the ordeal of their son’s brain tumor into a fierce, intimate campaign to preserve love, family, and hope.
- What is Declaration of War like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Declaration of War as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Declaration of War violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Declaration of War.
- What did critics think of Declaration of War?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as a powerful, energetic, and emotionally affecting account of young parents confronting childhood cancer, supported by strong performances and inventive direction.
- Which films are like Declaration of War?
- Films with a similar feel include The Son's Room, Our Children, The Intouchables, and 50/50.
- How long is Declaration of War?
- Declaration of War runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch Declaration of War?
- In United States, Declaration of War streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now.
