Jeux d'enfants (2003)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Yann Samuell

Writer:

Yann Samuell (writer)

Release Date:

14 May 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

From the visionary mind of director Yann Samuell comes France's hit comedy!

Plot:

As adults, best friends Julien and Sophie continue the odd game they started as children -- a fearless...

Plot Keywords:

Game | Daring | Urination | Female Nudity | Fake Marriage Proposal

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Guillaume Canet	...	Julien Janvier
Marion Cotillard	...	Sophie Kowalsky
Thibault Verhaeghe	...	Julien à 8 ans
Joséphine Lebas-Joly	...	Sophie à 8 ans
Emmanuelle Grönvold	...	Julien's Mother
Gérard Watkins	...	Julien's Father
Gilles Lellouche	...	Sergei Nimov Nimovitch
Julia Faure	...	Sophie's Sister
Laëtizia Venezia Tarnowska	...	Christelle Louise Bouchard (as Laetizia Venezia)
Élodie Navarre	...	Aurélie Miller
Nathalie Nattier	...	Sophie à 80 ans
Robert Willar	...	Julien (80 ans)
Frédéric Geerts	...	Igor
Manuela Sanchez	...	Teacher
Philippe Drecq	...	School Principal
Luc Bromagne	...	Priest
Jean-Michel Flagothier	...	Dorzac
Stéphane Auberghen	...	Proctor
Isabelle Delval	...	Clothilde
Christophe Rossignon	...	Doctor #2
Nathalie Philip	...	Julien's Nurse
Delphine Aerts	...	Senior Center Nurse
Isabelle Goethals Carre	...	Senior Center Director
Mathilde Verkinderen	...	Charlotte à 8 ans
Melchior LeBeaut	...	Julien à 4 ans
Emmanuel LeMire	...	Doctor #1
Jessica Rinalo	...	Child
Emmanuel Brunin	...	Child
Joeffrey Simon	...	Child
Amandine Courrire	...	Child
Jessica Vitello	...	Child
Michel Angely	...	Bus Driver
Fernand Kindt	...	Scrabble Player
Cedric Lombard	...	Library Student

Directed by
Yann Samuell

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Yann Samuell		writer

Produced by
Ève Machuel	....	executive producer
Patrick Quinet	....	co-producer
Stephane Quinet	....	co-producer
Christophe Rossignon	....	producer

Original Music by
Philippe Rombi

Cinematography by
Antoine Roch

Film Editing by
Judith Rivière Kawa
Andrea Sedlácková

Casting by
Gigi Akoka

Production Design by
Jean-Michel Simonet

Costume Design by
Julie Mauduech

Makeup Department
Paul de Fisser	....	key hair stylist
Lelia Delval	....	assistant hair stylist
Carole Henrotin	....	additional hair stylist
Françoise Joset	....	key makeup artist
Laetitia Ruffez	....	additional makeup artist
Francoise Sanner	....	additional hair stylist (as Françoise Sanner)
Michelle Van Brussel	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Julien Azoulay	....	post-production manager
Aurore Benoît	....	assistant unit manager
Olivier Chiavassa	....	production manager
Marc Dalmans	....	unit manager
Dimitri Linder	....	unit production manager
Olivier Rausin	....	production manager
Stéphane Riga	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alain Braconnier	....	second assistant director
Benoît Nguyen Lang	....	third assistant director
Thomas Tréfouel	....	first assistant director
Christophe 'Jazz' Verdonck	....	assistant director
Mael Buathier	....	additional assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Benoît Amans	....	property master: Belgium
Mohamed Ayada	....	assistant decorator
Anthony Baron	....	key painter
Hélène Bertrand	....	painter
Florence Boquiast	....	tapestry
Thomas Cambois	....	painter
Bernard Chenevier	....	construction manager
Pierre De Craen	....	set dresser (as Pierre Decraen)
Yann Dury	....	carpenter
Michel Escande	....	carpenter
Cédric Fidone	....	carpenter
Marc-Philippe Guerig	....	assistant art director
Cédric Hautin-Nelis	....	assistant decorator
Soizic Hervé	....	additional props
Jean-Paul Merckens	....	set dresser
Valérie Moy	....	painter
David Pitou	....	carpenter
Paul Rouschop	....	additional constructor
Stephan Rubens	....	construction manager
Laurent Stoffyn	....	additional constructor
Lorette Teillet	....	painter
Baert van Lint	....	construction manager (as Bart Van Lint)
Guillaume Watrinet	....	property master

Sound Department
Nicolas Becker	....	foley artist
Damien Bera	....	assistant sound
Benoît Biral	....	assistant sound mixer
Thomas Desjonquères	....	sound editor
Assia Dnednia	....	assistant foley artist (as Assia Zipper)
Catherine Dubeau	....	post-synchronisation
Marc Engels	....	boom operator
Thomas Gauder	....	sound mixer
Benjamin Leloch	....	assistant sound
Pierre Mertens	....	sound
Vincent Nouaille	....	boom operator: second unit
Philippe Vandendriessche	....	sound: second unit
Jean-Noël Yven	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Jacques Decort	....	special effects
Olivier de Laveleye	....	special effects
Marie Pierre Franck	....	special effects (as Marie-Pierre Franckx)
Mac Guff Ligne	....	special effects
Pierre Wuidart	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Odile Beraud	....	scan and shoot
Jacques Bled	....	visual effects producer
Stephanie Boutinaud	....	visual effects
Rodolphe Chabrier	....	visual effects supervisor
Rosana D'Andrea	....	2K exploitation
Xavier de L'Hermuzière	....	digital artist
Fabrice Faure	....	flame artist
Sébastien Guyot	....	scan and shoot
Christophe Keichinger	....	scan and shoot
Arassou Kichenassamy	....	scan and shoot
Stéphanie Machuret	....	digital artist
David Montoya	....	scan and shoot
Stéphane Praux	....	2K exploitation
Marion Roger	....	digital artist
Christophe Sabre	....	scan and shoot
Gérard Soirant	....	scan and shoot
Laurent Spillemaecker	....	Flame artist
David Tomaszewski	....	digital compositor
Sofi Vaillant	....	digital artist
Martial Vallanchon	....	visual effects supervisor
Eric Vidal	....	digital artist

Stunts
Jean-Louis Airola	....	stunts
Sylvain Balieu	....	stunt coordinator
Philipe Dailler	....	stunts (as Philippe Dailler)
Cyrille Dufaut	....	stunts
Jean-Claude Lagniez	....	stunts
Sébastien Lagniez	....	stunts
Patrick Médioni	....	stunts
Patrick Ronchin	....	stunts
Luc Tramon	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Jean-Francois Baudelet	....	crane operator
Philippe Bessy	....	crane operator
Alexandre Bon	....	aerial assistant camera
Stéphane Bourgoin	....	electrician
Mathieu Brémond	....	electrician
Lucilio Da Costa	....	electrician (as Lucilio Da Costa Pais)
Nicolas Deblonde	....	additional assistant camera
Réginald Desy	....	grip
Jérôme Di Cola	....	electrician
Dimitri Doulkeridis	....	grip
Martin Escobar	....	additional assistant camera
Jos Evenepoel	....	grip
Denis Gaubert	....	second assistant camera
Olivier Goelen	....	additional grip
Brice Gomez	....	electrician
Virgile Gomez-Fernandez	....	electrician (as Virgile Gomez)
Léopold Gomez	....	gaffer
Laurent Guénoun	....	underwater camera operator
Antoine Gueugneau	....	first assistant camera
Renaat Lambeets	....	Steadicam operator
Natacha Lee	....	second assistant camera
Jean-Claude Lother	....	still photographer
Thierry Ramanana	....	grip
Charlet Recors	....	aerial camera operator
Chris Renson	....	camera operator
Jean-François Roqueplo	....	key grip
Sébastien Saadoun	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Eric Sacher	....	crane operator
Rachel Simoni	....	second assistant camera
Dominique Sirault	....	additional electrician
Julien Vanhille	....	additional assistant camera
Emmanuel Van Wambeke	....	key grip
Oliver Verdoot	....	crane technician
Laurent Waltenier	....	grip
Pierre Weité	....	additional assistant camera (as Pierre-André Weité)
Frédéric Wormser	....	additional assistant camera

Casting Department
Florence Bovy	....	extras casting
Laure Cochener	....	casting assistant
Anne Demily	....	extras casting
Gerda Diddens	....	casting: Belgium
Ophélie Gelber	....	casting assistant
Jacqueline Wawrzyniak	....	casting: Lille

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Yolaine Cotte Verdi	....	costumer
Dorothée Lissac	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Nicolas Criqui	....	digital conformation
Julius Friede	....	color grader
Marjolaine Mispelaere	....	color timer
Philippe Reinaudo	....	digital intermediate technical director
Philippe Tourret	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Richard Boudarham	....	orchestra manager
Benjamin Caillaud	....	assistant music recordist
Cédric Genachte-Lebail	....	assistant music recordist
Olivier Jano	....	music copyist
Raymond Maillard	....	musician: cello solos
Nicolas Montazaud	....	musician: percussion
Stéphane Reichart	....	music engineer
Stéphane Reichart	....	music mixer
Stephan Rodescu	....	musician: violin solos
Géraldine Rombi	....	music supervisor
Philippe Rombi	....	conductor
Philippe Rombi	....	orchestrator
Jacky Tricoire	....	musician: electric guitar solos

Other crew
Tony Arnoux	....	press attache
Anne Bernard	....	production coordinator
Laure Cochener	....	acting coach: children
Marielle Duigou	....	production assistant
Pol Fourmois	....	groupman
Ophélie Gelber	....	acting coach: children
Véronique Hallot	....	production administrator
Isabelle Le Grix	....	script supervisor
Georges Polonia	....	groupman
André-Paul Ricci	....	press attache
Bernard Vander Donckt	....	production accountant
Thierry Verhelst	....	groupman

Production Companies

• Nord-Ouest Productions
• Studio Canal
• Artémis Productions
• France 2 Cinéma
• M6 Films
• Media Services
• Caneo Films
• Canal+ (participation)
• M6 Métropole Télévision (participation)
• C.R.R.A.V (in association with)
• Région Nord-Pas-de-Calais (in association with)
• Studio Images 9 (in association with)
• Cofimage 13 (in association with)
• Lazennec Films (in association with)
• Procirep (support)
• Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel de la Communauté Française de Belgique (support)
• Wallimage (support)
• Equinoxe (support)
• France 2 (FR2)

Distributors

• Mars Distribution (2003) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2003) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• A-Film Distribution (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Alamode Film (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Albatros Film (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Bir Film (2004) (Turkey) (theatrical)
• Golem Distribución (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Mediafilm (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Paramount Classics (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Al!ve AG (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Future Film (2004) (Finland) (all media)
• Paramount Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Éclair Numérique

Other Companies

• Car Grip  grip equipment
• Cinetec  grip equipment
• Monev  grip equipment
• Orchestre Symphonique Bel Arte  orchestra
• Samalga  camera equipment
• Studio Davout  music mixed at
• Studio Davout  music recorded at
• Transpalux  electrical equipment

Also Known As:

Love Me If You Dare (International: English title)
Mieux que la vie (France) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

Canada:93 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Japan:90 min

Country:

France | Belgium

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Japan:PG-12 | Mexico:B15 | Hungary:14 | South Korea:15 | Germany:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:M18 | Singapore:NC-16 (cut) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Philippines:R-13

Filming Locations:

Liège, Belgium

Company:

Nord-Ouest Productions

Trivia:

When Julien is at the cemetery on the day after which he and Sophie haven't seen each other for ten years, he wishes Sophie would just appear and sing "La Vie en Rose", a song by Édith Piaf. Marion Cotillard (Sophie) would later win an Academy Award for playing Piaf in La môme (2007).

Goofs:

Continuity: The first time we see the bus driver chasing the bus his hat falls off towards the left side of the road. The second time it drops directly behind him to the right of the middle.

Quotes:

Julien Jeanvier: Being an adult means to have a speedometer that marks 210 and not driving over 60.

Soundtrack:

La Vie en Rose

The World is Their Playground

I love this film. It's light, dreamy, and colorful. The movie does not ask you to take it seriously, but simply to watch as Julien and Sophie play with the elements of conventional life. I'm reminded of a character from Milan Kundera's Immortality, who played with the world in the same fervor and commitment.

We see Julien and Sophie's games becoming more and more elaborate as they grow up, affecting other lives even. And when they do, you understand at most levels that they do not mean to hurt other people. They just play as the game is supposed to be played.

It is fantasy in that it lets you suspend realism for a moment, and dwell on the things we take for granted many times- laughter, romance, and childlike innocence. This movie made me smile, and I have no need to question motivations etc. It would be absurd to questions things that are meant to be left alone in their wonder.