Rien à déclarer

I loved this movie! I've just seen it tonight as part of the New Zealand International Film Festival and thoroughly enjoyed it. The entire cinema was in hysterics. I haven't laughed so much in a movie for a long time. I'm not a film snob. I'm not looking for fine film-making or clever, or thought provoking movies, necessarily. There are some widely acclaimed movies out there that I didn't enjoy, while often movies that are slammed by the critics, I really enjoy. I just love to be entertained, and this movie did exactly that. Were some of the jokes childish? Yes, but it was so funny that it didn't matter. The actors were really believable and did an awesome job. Rien a Declarer - awesome! I absolutely do want to own this movie on DVD.

Humor is a funny thing ... especially when it's a movie coming from France and has Danny Boon starring in it. Of course you might have an aversion to the guy (which would be unfortunate), otherwise you might be delighted watching him, even in the craziest situation, because he can even pull those off.

The plot is not that complicated, patrolling the "border", making sure nothing illegal happens, but the situations that ensure due to characters decision and the consequences are really funny. Of course they could also be tragic at times, but this is not a drama and it is made clear very early on ... which should also be an indicator if this is a movie you'll enjoy to watch or not

I'm getting older and I'm looking at French comedies more and more often.

Not so long ago I watched something similar with the same director and actor in one of the main roles.

Well, as usual, there is almost nothing to say. The film is short and funny. What else does comedy need?

Someone might say that a good comedy also needs an interesting plot and half of the film should be devoted to drama. To which I will answer: She doesn't need it.

If a comedy is funny, then it's a good comedy. That's all!

Although the plot here is really interesting. By itself, it's simple, but that's how it plays out and how all the jokes fit into it. This is very well done.

I didn't laugh until I cried but I smiled a lot and overall I had a good time. The main characters are nice (except for the girlfriend, her acting was bad imo) and the plot is cute (although a bit basic)

I suspect this movie grew out of the phenomenal success of Dany Boon's previous movie, Bienvenu chez les Ch'tis (2008), which set box office records in France two years before. That movie was about cultural differences between middle-class Frenchmen and the Ch'tis, the French who live in the far northeast corner of France (what was once the Nord Pas de Calais and is now trying to come up with a new name for itself). That movie plays on cultural stereotypes, true, but it is often very funny.

This one is less funny, frankly, though not without laughs.

This time the clash is between the French and the Belgians. More specifically, it is the story of a family of rabidly anti-French Belgians and the problems they cause for one of their own, who has had the misfortune to fall in love with a Frenchman (Boon). The jokes are usually pretty obvious, but the characters are generally likable - with the exception of the Belgian border patrol guard, who is just too extreme.

You won't be bored, but I can't imagine you'd come back for seconds.