End it before it ends!
The excellent short story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" by J.D. Salinger goes on one page too long. So, when I reread it. . .and I do. . .I quit the story with Sybil and Seymour coming ashore from their afternoon swim. It is true Seymour--it is his fate as the most gifted poet in the Glass family--must die. But not here.

Likewise, "Love Me If You Dare (Are You Game?)" should end sooner. And, when I watch it again. . .and I plan to because, for a while it is a great movie: charming and moving at the beginning, edgy and true in the middle. . .I will stop it early into chapter 9 as the tin rolls down the church aisle. . .End it!

End it! I will quit this film before it, like Seymour Glass, commits suicide.

Amazing movie
This movie is truly great. The story, cinematography, and direction completely blew me away when I first saw it.

"Teddies Aren't Usually Made of Tin ..."
It's a revealing moment when Sergei Nimovitch groans that "something is stabbing [him] in the back" and digs the carousel-tin out of the couch cushion. When he lovingly mutters that it's Sophie's "teddy" and she replies with the above line, we know that love (for Sophie) is not soft and gentle but hard and painful. And the "stabbing in the back" bit ... priceless.

Yann Samuell breaks "Jeux d'enfants" into four segments: "Game," "Set," "Match," and "Dares of Dares." The segments grow progressively darker when puckish pranks turn to sadistic challenges. These plotted, breathtaking moments become nearly impossible to watch ... and since the viewer is frequently aligned with the "victim," Sophie/Julien's surprise becomes her/his. But, (and here's the ingenuity of the piece) there really are no "victims," per se. Both Sophie and Julien are broken individuals (one the child of destitute Polish immigrants and the other contending with the death of his mother). Unlike most romances, they do not provide healing support for each other ... instead, they opt to hurt and humiliate the other. Nonetheless, in the end, the dynamic of their relationship becomes clear: what began as a portrait of mean-spirited dysfunction matures into "something else" ... many will find the actual conclusion shocking (though it shouldn't be), so I'll stop here.

The cinematography is a treat for viewers. Super-saturated colors allow for a playful read to otherwise tense scenes. Brilliant. Moreover, the casting is lovely. American viewers may note the boyish-charm of Noah Wyle in Guillaume Canet. And yes, for some, these characters may prove beyond comprehension; however, many may see shards of themselves in these two. Finally, the clever bookends (should) prepare the viewer for the conclusion ... smart move.

Yann Samuell's film is dark, hurtful, and potentially unsatisfying (depending on your idea of "romance"). With that said, the absolute brutality of this piece is why I feel compelled to recommend it. Bombarded by saccharine films like The Notebook and A Walk to Remember, I'm ready for romantic films with a little more "bite." And, I assure you, Samell delivers.

Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet with a modern twist
Jeux d'enfants is the story of the game of truth or dare - a metaphorical representation of the games people play in love. The games (jeux) begin when Julien and Sophie are children (enfants), but as they grow older they intensify and become more twisted and dangerous.

Although they are very much in love with each other, they let the game dictate their future, and the dare even goes as far as hurting and tricking each other.

The cinematography is fantastic and the director manages to capture the ravages of the undeclared and unconsummated love. A daring lesson of love handled the wrong way when it becomes poisonous on the protagonists.

A love story with a dark twist and spice of life
This movie makes you want to pull off the mane of a mundane life and love living like crazy. The playful, love relationship between the two main characters is stricken with misunderstanding and confounded by their game of dare. The acting is solid and ending is unexpected. I like it.