Rien à déclarer

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)

It's long time that I waited for such a funny movie. My nine year old son couldn't wait longer and forced me and my wife to watch the DVD this evening. The quality and humor of this movie is only attempted if it is watched in original language. There were many crazy dialogs and scenes and we had to laugh a lot tonight. Dany Boon and Paul Vervoorde played their role very believable and convincing and they merit standing ovations for this performance. The atmosphere and scenery was well adapted to the nineties. All in all again a truly great success for the french film industry and a win for the cinema world. Don't miss it and you won't regret. Congratulations to all the stuff. 9/10. If you liked it I recommend BIENVENU CHEZ LES CHTI'S, L'ENQUETE CORSE or TAIS-TOI.

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.*

Long review title, I know, but a number of genres seemed to blend together in an hour and forty-five minutes. First, I'd like to highly the acting, which I thought was superb, given the broad spectrum of emotions (and lack thereof) all of the characters were expected to portray. As a viewer, I really got to know the dynamic personalities in a personal way by the end. This is a credit also to the writing. I had a laugh out loud moment that is a rare event for me, even in comedies. Action sequences were cool, comedy was classic schtick, and that Renault...

Despite the action sequences, there were a few points in the movie that seemed to drag, or wandered directionless a bit. The ending was a bit of a shrug, but a lesson nonetheless. I don't think the movie would go over well given recent uptight society, but maybe it is just the thing people need to relax?