Love Me If You Dare (2003)

Strong and Moving!

Good start, but then it gets ruined

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Positives: scene when they finally got together after a decade apart was heartfelt; overall emotional direction of the story was interesting and touching but I felt the delivery was lackluster; surreal scenes near the end were a pleasant surpriseNegatives: kid actors sucked but that part of the movie didn't take itself too seriously so it was not a deal breaker; dad character seemed a bit off psychologically. I understand he got traumatized by the mother's death but even before she died he acted weird with the kid; at some point in the movie the main characters get mad at each other no apparent reason. It seems the writers needed the characters to fight so that the rest of the cliché story line could be pursued. I get annoyed when characters in a movie that obviously like each other and will end up together in the end can't seem to just talk and settle simple problems in the relationship. The movie treats the audience as stupid; the scene at the end where the main characters are old was cheesy.

Julien and Sophie could be the perfect couple, if only they could figure out how to express their true feelings.These two tend to have no regard for anyone but themselves, they are dirty, crazy, and wonderful. The characters in this movie are unique, but their unfortunate situations are not. As children, the relationship they develop is as innocent as the "game" they play. Truth or dare. The film illustrates how the events from their childhood continue to affect their lives into adulthood. They are always at odds with the attraction that they have for one another. This leads them to the psychopathic tendencies which makes this movie intriguing, interesting, and without a doubt, one of my favorites.

There is too much to say!First of all,the masters of the filmmaking industry are the Americans,but the French left their footprints.The French have made many good films,but this is one of their best.The script was strong but the marketing was not enough to attract the attention of people worldwide and be a commercial success.Such a pity.The performances by the main protagonists were also good.I am pretty surprised that the film focused very much on the lives of the protagonists and did not show much of landscapes/attractions e.g Eiffel Tower,Paris,which showed that French people had a good potential in the filmmaking industry.I loved how plot was handled by this game called "Game" and how it deeply marked the lives of the characters.I really liked the fact that they showed two alternate endings(personally I preferred the first one with the couple getting immersed into the cement)instead of using the "american" technique of showing the one ending in the movie and cutting the other one which usually can be watched in DVD's extras.It is democratic because the viewer is given the option of choosing an end,thing that leads to his own personal satisfaction.

A game of dare between two friends spans across time, taking playfulness to new heights.An original love story that is as refreshing as it is creative, with fun elements of magical realism mixed in. There's nothing these characters won't do as they juggle the costs and rewards of their games, with the stakes raised as they get older...Charming and funny with great performances by all and a few surprises to make sure you're paying attention. Marion Cotillard wows yet again.I loved it! 8.4/10