Jeux d'enfants

Starring Academy award winner Marion Cotillard and (her real-life beau) Guillaume Canet this 2003 French movie delivers more than just laughs. Julien and Sophie are children when they start playing the game of dare. As they grow older their games become more bold and dangerous. They are keeping them apart the whole time, even though it's obvious they're a perfect match. Saying "I love you" becomes harder than saying no to a dare, until one leads to complications that sets them apart. As life gets more serious for both Sophie and Julien, especially now that they're separated, the colours change, scenes are darker, characters stressed out, their world has lost all innocence and fun.

Aside from a really original idea and funny scenes, what’s interesting about the movie is the photography. In the beginning, when Sophie and Julien meet, the edges of the screen are slightly blurry. Colours are burning bright. Throughout the story, they mature and colours slowly fade until in the end, it’s only Sophie’s red dress that’s anything remotely vivid.

Although at times dark and demands your full attention, the movie is enjoyable and certainly doesn’t disappoint, artistically or plot-wise.

There are perhaps several morals in this story, but certainly the one that stands out the most is about taking chances. After Sophie and Julien’s real story ends, we are shown what could have been had they confessed that they cared sooner. They are old, colours are bright and they’re happy together. Still playing dare.

Learn from their mistakes, their years of despair. Try your luck and approach that boy/girl you’ve been secretly staring at for weeks. Because a wasted opportunity is a hundred times worse than rejection. Go to that crush. Talk to that crush.

I dare you.