Jeux d’enfants (Love Me If You Dare)

Jeux d’enfants (Love Me If You Dare) is a 2003 French movie directed by Yann Samuell. The entire movie revolves around a game of dare that a boy and girl play on each other. Sophie is being harassed by her classmates when Julien offers his toy box to console her. She dares him to do something crazy for her, which he does by setting off the school bus down a hill. This game of daring each other by offering the toy box continues all their life. Their dares wreck the lives of their parents, their partners and finally the love they have for each other. Or does it really?

Guillaume Canet and Marion Cotillard play the main characters with great aplomb, effortlessly pulling in the viewer into their maniacal world. The plot is surreal and nutty, but engaging. Two alternate endings are shown for the movie, one of which is the real one. I so wished the director had chosen the other ending. Jeux d’enfants is a dreamy romantic tragedy that can be watched once.