Rien à déclarer

This movie mainly interested me for it's principal subtext.

The overall mediocre comedy, which sometimes offers loud laughters, and the main intrigue itself is passable.

But, as said, the message of tolerance Is what makes the movie stand out from other like-minded comedies.

The movie exemplifies brilliantly the futility of endless bickering and hate towards your literal neighbors. It shows that, while mostly enshrined in geographical features, are still powerful imaginations in the minds of people.

This does not mean that one should forget his national heritage in a process of transnationalisation or to completely deny the less formidable aspects of another culture, but rather that one should embrace the cultural richness and simple humanity of one's surrounding.

Because the idea of Europe is one of tolerance and altruism. And it should be wholeheartedly defended, in my point of view.

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)

Dany Boon's "Nothing to Declare" (2010) attempts to blend cross-border cultural clashes with comedic hijinks, but ultimately falls flat, delivering a lukewarm and utterly unmemorable cinematic experience. The film suffers from a severe lack of genuine humor, meandering aimlessly through predictable gags and tired stereotypes without ever truly eliciting a laugh. The supposed "charming" interactions between the customs officers feel forced and contrived, lacking the genuine spark and wit necessary to engage the audience. The dialogue, often laden with clichéd jokes about national differences and bureaucratic absurdity, feels painfully artificial, as if the writers simply strung together a series of predictable scenarios without any regard for natural conversation or relatable comedic timing. Instead of a fresh and insightful satire, it offers a superficial and often irritating spectacle of manufactured whimsy.

Is it worth watching? No, unless you have an exceptionally high tolerance for predictable comedy and a lack of genuine comedic depth. There are far more authentic and impactful comedies available.

Given the commercial and critical success of director Dany Boon's earlier film Welcome to the Sticks, it is peculiar that his next project, Nothing to Declare, endured a straight-to-DVD release in France. This is despite its superb sense of humour, engaging interplay between characters and generally fun, light-hearted feel.

The story, set in 1993, centres on the racist, trigger-happy Belgian Ruben (Benoit Poelvoorde), who is paired up against his will with Frenchman Mathias (Boon) in their effort to police the Franco-Belgian border. Compounding the strenuous partnership is the fact that Mathias is secretly dating overprotective Ruben's sister (Julie Bernard). Also intertwined in the story is the oafish Jacques and trying wife Irene, who turn to smuggling contraband between the borders to make ends meet, as well as the world's most incompetent drug ring and their short-tempered boss.

Right off the bat, it's clear that Boon has a talent for ensemble directing. Although he and Poelvoorde share the lead, each fringe character enjoys ample screen time to tell their story and draw audience engagement, while all potential loose ends are appropriately tied up without leaving any individual's fate hanging in the balance.

Humour is consistent throughout Nothing to Declare. Following a slow start, the film employs varying instances of physical, visual and verbal comedy, the latter of which is accentuated by the consistently tense, tight interplay between certain pairs of characters. The arguable highlight occurs as the criminals attempt to disguise their van as an ambulance for the purpose of drug smuggling, but honourable mentions must also go to Ruben's crude, xenophobic dad and the 'pimping-out' of Mathias's patrol car.

Boon casually addresses the fine line between patriotism and racism with this film but, like all good comedies, it permits pure entertainment to take priority, without falling into the trap of becoming too preachy, political or divisive.

*There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on jnatsis@iprimus.com.au and let me know what you thought of my review. If you're looking for a writer for your movie website or other publication, I'd also love to hear from you.*

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.