I Declare War

I wasn't sure what to really think when I sat down to watch directors' Jason Lapeyre and Robert Wilson film I Declare War. The Fantastic Fest description of a Lord of the Flies experience from an after school game of "war" doesn't really due justice to the filmmaker's achievement. It's a really engaging piece of filmmaking that brings both strong child actor performances and well thought through visual presentation to the party.

Set during a game of "War" it takes us into the minds of the junior high aged participants. To a deeper degree of perception of the experience than I can fluidly relate in writing. As the picture opens we watch the stalking of one child by another. Each armed with what appears and sounds to be an authentic firearms. After a brief firefight one falls. While the brain struggles to determine if we just witness one of the most taboo killings to appear onscreen two things occur. First it becomes clear the "victim" is but a pawn used as a ruse to draw out the shooter. Second as blood grenade splatters across the unwitting "soldier" it becomes clearer that something more complex than child murder is afoot. Turns out we're watching a game. But one the kids take VERY seriously. The guns visually switch randomly and seamlessly from toys (what they are carrying) to true weapons of war (what the children perceive they are).

When the best friend of strategic mastermind and cinematic Patton fan JT is kidnapped by the opposing teams thing go up several notches. The remainder of the film demonstrates a constant escalation of hostilities with violations of their rules of war running fast and furious. As the line between fantasy and reality blurs the brutality escalates. In a way that's realistic as heck onscreen even if your never been a thirteen year old boy. Buoyed by almost across the board strong child acting it's a heck of a ride. Check it out when you can.