Friday, November 16, 2012

La Guerre est déclarée / Declaration of War

Sota on julistettu / Slåss för livet. FR © 2011 Rectangle Productions / Wild Bunch. P: Edouard Weil. D: Valérie Donzelli. SC: Valérie Donzelli, Jérémie Elkaïm. DP: Sébastien Buchmann - Camera: Canon EOS 5D - Film negative format: 35 mm (?) - Printed film format: 35 mm, Digital (Digital Cinema Package DCP) - Aspect ratio: 2.35:1. PD: Gaëlle Usandivaras. Cost: Elisabeth Mehu. Makeup and hair: Valérie Donzelli. VFX: Michel Reynaert. S: Ludovic Escallier, Sébastien Savine. ED: Pauline Gaillard. Excerpts from: Cristaux liquides (Jean Painlevé, 1978). Casting: Karen Hottois. C: Valérie Donzelli (Juliette), Jérémie Elkaïm (Roméo Benaïm), César Desseix (Adam Benaïm à 18 mois), Gabriel Elkaïm (Adam Benaïm à 8 ans), Brigitte Sy (Claudia Benaïm, la mère de Roméo), Elina Löwensohn (Alex, la compagne de Claudia), Michèle Moretti (Geneviève, la mère de Juliette), Philippe Laudenbach (Philippe, le père de Juliette), Bastien Bouillon (Nikos), Béatrice De Staël (Le docteur Ghislaine Prat, la pédiatre), Anne Le Ny (Le docteur Fitoussi, la neuropédiatre), Frédéric Pierrot (Le professeur Saint-Rose), Elisabeth Dion (Le docteur Kalifa, de l'IGR), Pauline Gaillard (un narrateur), Philippe Barassat (un narrateur), Valentine Catzéflis (une narratrice). Loc: Paris, Marseille, Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer (Calvados, Normandie). 100 min. Released by Cinema Mondo with Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Outi Kainulainen / Joanna Erkkilä. 2K DCP viewed at Kinopalatsi 4, Helsinki, 16 Nov 2012.

Wikipedia: "La Guerre est déclarée est un film français réalisé par Valérie Donzelli, sorti en 2011. Il s'agit de son deuxième long métrage après La Reine des pommes. Racontant la bataille d'un couple de jeunes parents pour sauver leur petit garçon d'une tumeur rare au cerveau, il a surtout la particularité d'être écrit, réalisé et interprété par ces mêmes parents qui ont vécu la dite histoire."

"Dès le premier regard, Juliette attire Roméo dans ses bras. Le coup de foudre est réciproque, l'amour ainsi partagé donne vite naissance à leur enfant, Adam. Mais alors qu'il va sur ses deux ans, le bébé inquiète ses parents, car il ne marche pas encore et vomit parfois de manière violente et subite. Après constat des symptômes et de plus amples examens, une tumeur est diagnostiquée. Juliette et Roméo mènent alors un long combat de front contre le cancer qui menace la survie de leur fils." (Wikipedia)

The story is powerful, gripping and true to life, the actor-filmmakers recreating their own harrowing war against the cancer in their little son, finally conquering against all odds. The account of the medical world dominates the movie and probably has great value of authenticity, bordering on the documentary. Many hospitals are credited in the movie.

The film is very interesting for everybody who have had to face similar experiences in their own lives or in the lives of those close to them.

The approach is realistic, often naturalistic, with flights of fancy. There are excerpts from Cristaux liquides, perhaps as an evocation of the malignant cancer. There is a camera whirlwind effect to express Juliette's agony. There are slow motion shots. There is a Truffaut inspiration in the movie, especially in the conclusion.

The music track is too eclectic and slightly too obvious to my taste, but the movie is yet another expression of the charming tradition in French cinema that film-makers write songs for their own movies. (Last week I saw Julie Delpy's 2 Days in New York for which she has also written songs.)

I prefer the Swedish title of the movie, Slåss för livet  = Fight for Life. This basic theme this movie conveys powerfully and memorably.

The visual quality has the low definition look of the system camera, pretty ok in interiors and close-ups, not so hot outdoors or with nature footage.


"Générique de l'émission Radioscopie"
Composed by Georges Delerue
(P) 1970 Les Éditions des Alouettes

"The Four Seasons Concerto No. 4 in F minor RV 297, L'inverno (Winter)"
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
(P) 1981 EMI Records Ltd

"Eje Mater, fons Amoris. Largo"
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by Andreas Scholl with Ensemble 415
Conducted by Chiara Banchini
(P) 2011 Harmonia Mundi

"The Bell Tolls Five"
Written by Peter Von Poehl
Performed by Peter Von Poehl

"Radioscopie"
by Georges Delerue

"A la claire fontaine"
(chanson traditionnelle)
Sung by Jérémie Elkaïm

"Stabat Mater"
composed by Antonio Vivaldi
(1712)

"A Day in the Life of a Fool"
(Manhã de Carnaval) Composed by Luiz Bonfá and Antonio Martin
(1959)

"La vie parisienne"
Composed by Jacques Offenbach
(1866)

"Blind"
Written and performed by Blind
(Born Bad Records, 2006)

"Menuet de la 2e suite en si mineur, BMW 1067"
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach

"La fac de lettres"
Performed by Jacqueline Taïeb
(April 1967)

"Ton grain de beauté"
Written and performed by Valérie Donzelli and Jérémie Elkaïm
(2010)

"Break Ya"
Written and performed by Yuksek
From album "Away From the Sea
(2-2--2009)

"Les quatre saisons, opus 8"
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
(1725)

Theme from La cosa buffa (1972), directed by Aldo Lado
Composed by Ennio Morricone

"Si tu reviens chez moi"
Performed by 5 Gentlemen
(Riviera Records, 1966)

"Je ne peux plus dire que je t'aime"
Written by Jacques Higelin
Performed by Alice Gastaut and Adrien Antoine
(1979)

"Une vie de papa"
Written and performed by Sebastien Tellier
From album "L'incroyable vérité"
(Warner Bros, 2001)

"O Superman"
Written and performed by Laurie Anderson
From album "Big Science"
(Warner Bros, 2001)

"The Bell Tolls Five Written and composed by 'Peter von Poehl' From album "
Going Where the Tea-Trees Are"
(Tôt ou Tard, 9-5-2006)

"Rectangle"
Written and performed by Jacno
(Celluloid, 1979) X

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