Love Me If You Dare (French title: Jeux d'enfants — "Children's Games" in English) is a 2003 French film directed by Yann Samuell.
Plot
Julien begins narrating the tale as a child, divulging details about his family life and his new friend, Sophie, daughter of Polish immigrants. Julien and Sophie build a friendship and amorous curiosity as they exchange a tin carousel when one of them completes a dare. The dares become increasingly risky and troublesome for the two, as they are often sent to the principal's office in their academy.
Eventually, ten years pass, and the pair are now in their late teens, continuing with their game of dares, even to the expense of their emotional health. Long periods of time pass by dare of both Sophie and Julien, and the story ends with both characters in the mid 30s, married to separate spouses and Julien with two children. Ten years have passed since Sophie proclaimed that ten years would pass until they spoke again. And as the anniversary of the day nears and arrives, Julien is consumed with the thought of seeing Sophie again. They unite later that night, setting off a series of events that leads to their ultimate fate.
Cast
- Guillaume Canet – Julien Janvier
- Marion Cotillard – Sophie Kowalsky
- Thibault Verhaeghe – 8 year old Julien
- Joséphine Lebas-Joly – 8 year old Sophie
- Emmanuelle Grönvold – Julien's mother
- Gérard Watkins – Julien's father
- Gilles Lellouche – Sergei Nimov Nimovitch
- Julia Faure – Sophie's sister
- Laetizia Venezia – Christelle Louise Bouchard
- Élodie Navarre – Aurélie Miller
- Nathalie Nattier – 80-year-old Sophie
- Robert Willar – 80-year-old Julien
- Frédéric Geerts – Igor
- Manuela Sanchez – Teacher
- Philippe Drecq – School headmaster
Imagery
Keystone to the film is a small tin box in the shape of a carousel. In a flash–forward segment, the film opens with a shot of a construction site, with the box partially enveloped in concrete. Once we return to the present, we see Julien initially receives it from his mother, and upon seeing Sophie being mistreated by other children at school, presents it to her. He hopes she'll lend it back on occasion, but she demands he do something daring to prove he really wants it. Thereafter, the two are engaged in a playful rivalry: whoever has the box can force the other to perform a dare to get it back. A few examples of dares are Julien getting married, Sophie wearing her underwear outside her clothes, Julien stealing a car, them slapping an athlete at school, and ultimately, getting buried in concrete. The film ultimately ends with a nearly identical shot to the opening, with the box once again partially enveloped in concrete.
The film's visual style also reflects the setting: while Julien and Sophie are children, the world is slightly fuzzy, and everything is bright and colourful. As they grow older, the film becomes sharper, and the colour more realistic. In a hypothetical scene of the two as an elderly couple, the film again becomes fuzzy, but now has a definite sepia tint.
Soundtrack
The song "La Vie en Rose" permeates the film and dominates much of the soundtrack. Several distinct versions are used, including the Édith Piaf original, covers by Donna Summer, Louis Armstrong, the Brazilian A cappella group Trio Esperança, and French pop artist Zazie, as well as a handful of instrumental cuts. Coincidentally, Marion Cotillard went on to win an Oscar for her portrayal of Piaf in the film La Vie en Rose, also called La Môme. A piano arrangement, Ouverture by Philippe Rombi, can also be heard throughout the film.
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