Customer Reviews

Love Me If You Dare (English Subtitled)

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

After the success of "Amelie," the Hollywood marketing machine is in desperate search of the next big foreign romantic comedy and likewise misleads the public by packaging every movie to come out of France as the sequel to "Amelie." "Love Me if You Dare" is very much a romantic BLACK comedy, a fact that will likely turn off viewers who come in strictly with an "Amelie" mindset. Don't, and I think you'll really appreciate what THIS movie has to offer, which is a charm all its own. For those of you unsure of what to expect from a romantic black comedy, think "Secretary" but without the S&M.

I was really pleasantly surprised by this movie because I loved "Amelie" and hated "Secretary," yet I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The story of two people so obviously in love with each other yet so wrong for each other turns the romantic comedy archetype on its head. And it's not just the typical "he/she is from the wrong side of the tracks" storyline although that plays a part. There are SO many reasons why Sophie and Julien should not be together, so much so that in any other movie you would end up hating one or both characters, but you can't help but like and want them to be together. It's so cheesy to say "Oh, they're soulmates" but they are and it's not a neat, pretty package. I love how this movie explores that idea because it shows everything that goes along with love - jealously, anger, bitterness, passion, and even hatred. It's messy and it can be dark, but it's also the most exhilarating, undiminished thing in your life.

Don't be turned off by my review - it's not all dark. There are enough moments of whimsy to satisfy the most avid "Amelie"-lover out there. Some moments will make you laugh out loud. And some moments will make you blanch. But it's love in all its guts and glory. "Love Me if You Dare" adds some much needed edginess and originality to the current stream of banal and redundant romantic comedies. "Amelie" was wonderful but give this movie the chance it deserves.

I have only seen this movie in French while I was in France and I loved it! There are so many twists and turns in the movie that it keeps you wondering what will happen next. It also has an amazing love story involving the two main characters, who you will fall in love with. They have wonderful on-screen chemistry. The ending is one that you will argue what you think it meant with others. I love this movie and am pre-ordering it.

This movie has a little bit of everything: romance, comedy, tragedy, and action, all rolled up into a French fantasy-like film. It was like a combination of "Moulin Rouge" and "Amelie," but much darker. Some of the dares Julien and Sophie perform are a little sick, but thrilling all the same. The acting is brilliant; the two children are so enchanting as Julien and Sophie, and the two adult actors are so captivating you can really feel how much Sophie and Julien love each other. Their love emanates so strongly that the line between reality and fanstasy is blurred to the point of non-existence, and no matter how you interpret the ending, the message is clear: some loves are meant to be immortal.

The first feature from French director Yann Samuell is an "expressionistic" allegory about love, disguised as a romantic fantasy. It is about how in our relationships we never outgrow childhood games or fully recover from insecurities caused by deep childhood wounds. It is about how people in love constantly test each other. Each dare is a renewed demand for the other person to prove their love, no matter what the sacrifice.

"Love Me If You Dare" is a gimmick translation of "Jeux d'enfants", a better translation would be "Games of Children". But given the general confusion about this film by English speaking viewers and critics the inaccurate title is probably appropriate. Film Theory 101 would include a discussion of the two basic film extremes, realism and expressionism. Generally the closer a film comes to reproducing reality, the less room there is for the filmmaker to express his artistry. Which is not to say that realism is necessarily less manipulative than expressionism, both aim to affect their viewing audience, expressionism is just less constrained.

When you are used to a steady diet of Hollywood realism, it is difficult to switch gears and watch a film like "Jeux d'enfants" without attempting to force it into the realism mold. The temptation is to gloss over the surreal elements and to take everything you see literally. But Samuell has a background as an illustrator and designer. Note the inventive visuals that employ a multitude of cardboard cutouts and idyllic fantasy settings. This is expressionism. Note the accelerated action segments and strange transitions. This is expressionism. Note the interesting time passage montages and flashbacks.

While you sometimes see similar stuff incorporated into a realistic film, it is explained away as a dream, hallucination, or memory. Here it is a tip-off that this is a surreal allegory like Bunuel's "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie". If you avoid taking "Jeux d'enfants" too literally, stop being judgmental about the actions and motivations of its characters, and focus instead on picking up its allegorical elements you will probably understand it better and enjoy it more.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

First off, don't be fooled by the romantic cover or the Amelie comparisons it gets. The first part of the movie is very touching and sweet like Amelie, but once these little rascals grow up, all hell breaks loose.

I'll spare you a synopsis, but basically this is a movie about two people who I think really are in love with eachother(they form an undeniable bond as children), but don't know how to turn off the dare button to be honest enough about their true feelings and are too insecure to be the first one to assert their love. And so, the dare game continues to some really disturbing levels. Disturbing, yes-but in a sorta "aha-top that one!" entertaining way, where you do anticipate how each will raise the bar each time. It's a sick exercise, but there you go.

It's sad in a way too cause by the time they are honest enough, things are just too much of a mess by then. I watched it again for the second time, and actually the earlier parts of the film come off much more sadly because both attempt to express their feelings, but are shut down by the other's insecure responses. That part of the movie is what rings true to me actually, and so it makes the movie have a sad, regretful tone to it, even though the more sensational parts of the movie get the spotlight....

The people who are over-analyzing this film need to lighten up. It's your typical quirky French comedy, and not meant to be taken seriously. The writer and director clearly have an offbeat sense of humor, and there are times you can't believe anyone would behave the way the two protagonists do, but of course, that's the point. Your jaw will likely drop as the film reaches its dénouement, but then you will cheer for them and hope for a happy ending anyway. The lead actors are so charming, you forgive them for being such, well, schmucks.

I found this film highly entertaining and a nice departure from Hollywood's safe-but-dull formula for predictable "comedy". The French truly are weird.

Watch it in French with the English subtitles. Foreign films are always more fun that way.

this is seriously the best french film that i have seen this year. it is an atypical love story that ends unexpectantly... a definite must see!!!

What a bold and beautiful film that director Yann Samuell has created. Rivaling that of the French hit Amelie, this film proves that creativity and emotion can go hand in hand. From the opening scenes until the final tearjerker, I was glued to the screen. I was immersed into all the characters as well as the situations around them. This is a love story to the tenth degree. Samuell spectacularly takes all genre's of film and cut and pastes them into Jeux d'enfants. This was a collage of fierce color and intense cinematography. It kept you grounded on your couch yet somehow took you to new levels of the world. His use of color, imaginative storytelling, and mastery behind the camera helped this film go from average love story to a clear representation of human emotion. To say the least, this film was perfect.

To begin, Samuell hands us two of the freshest actors to play the parts of Julien and Sophie. Unknown in American cinema, these two build that chemistry that most of the time Hollywood money cannot buy. From the moment they met at the bus stop, until the very ending scenes, we could tell that they were in love. There was no question in my mind that these two were perfect together, and what helped this development occur is the two actors that portrayed them. Their ability to control each other and also the camera was impressive. They played off each other so well that I had to remind myself that this was a fictional film, not a documentary. This amazing acting allowed me to grow attached to the characters from the beginning of the film until the end. There was not a singular scene where I felt they were in it just to collect the money. You could tell that they were excited about this film and it brightly shown through the screen.

Samuell not only takes two actors to tell his story, but also he gives them a cartoon-esque world to grow in. From the opening scene with the bus, we are shown this imaginative world similar to a fairy tale. Rules in this world are different than ours, yet it is still our Earth. That is what helps us keep grounded during this story. Some of the dares are outlandish, yet we believe them because of this world that Samuell has created and the characters he has picked for us. The different uses of camera work help build the overall tone of the film. Samuell teeters on the edge of too comical and childish, but never falls. You are constantly reminded throughout this film that it is an adult story, not for children. Yet, there are colors and images that will no doubtably evoke memories from your youth throughout this film. That is an important part of this film. This is the story of two people that never grow up. They rely on this game to keep their spirits alive, and it is through this game that they fall in love. This film reminded me of what it would be like to film an adult version of freeze-tag. He has taken a childhood game ("dare") and given us an adult spin.

This film impressed me. The colors that Samuell uses to help heighten the emotion of these two characters and build a very surreal world for us are enjoyable everytime I watch this film. He knows what he is doing with this film, and does not hold back at all. Just as you think that you have these characters figured out, he forces them apart, forcing us to grow fonder for them to reunite. This is nothing more than a film about Julien and Sophie, and while so many times we loose focus of these types of characters when creative cinematography comes into place, it never happens with this film. Samuell is a genius and presents to us a very beautiful story about love. The clever uses of many cover versions of "La Vie en Rose" will have you humming the song as this film comes to a close. I have read reviews that say it is nothing like Amelie, and I couldn't agree with them more. This is not Amelie, this is its own film with a completely different story, style, and theme. This film honorably stands on its own two feet and walks with the greatest of ease. I suggest this film to everyone who is looking for that creative story about love and games.

Grade: ***** out of *****

Easily the most creative foreign film I've seen. And by creative I don't mean far out there. I just mean that it's brilliantly written. The score isn't amazing in itself but the mood is always set nicely. I could go on for a long time, but suffice to say it's a must see.

Love Me If You Dare (marketed in France as 'Jeux D'Enfants'to great success) is above all a confusing and beautiful movie. And it is very pretty - the coloring and arrangement is very elegant. The story is long and drawn-out, which is not a bad thing as long as it can hold your attention, which it can. No one I have shown this movie to has lost interest halfway through, though the most common complaint is a lack of resemblane to Amélie. My view: get over yourselves. The problem foreign film faces most in America is a lack of context - we're not part of European society, and it's only natural that all the French movies we see would get mentally compartmentalized together. Show an American a German film and it has to resemble 'Run Lola Run,' or else there's hell to pay. But really, how interesting would these movies be if they were all chirpy and alike? Quite a few people I know have to look around and realize that not everything beautiful or romantic ends in on a particularly upbeat tone, and if you insist otherwise, a good argument can be made that you're wasting your life. I felt strongly enough about this movie to post this review - if nothing else, it's an inspiring few hours on tape.