Movie Review: Rien à Déclarer (a.k.a Nothing to Declare)

Rien à Déclarer a.k.a Nothing to Declare

Pathé, Les Productions du Ch'timi, TF1 Films Production, Scope Pictures, Canal+, CinéCinéma, Centre National de la Cinématographie, Région Wallone, SCOPE Invest, France, Belgium, 2010.

In 1986 Belgian customs officers Ruben Vandevoorde (Benoît Poelvoorde) and Bruno Vanuxem (Bouli Lanners) hear shocking news: the Courquain customs station between France and Belgium is going to be closed. Seven years later the final moments of the border station are at hand. Über-patriotic Ruben gives lazy Bruno a lesson about defending the borders. 

Bruno Vanuxem

Ruben Vandevoorde

French customs officer Mathias Ducatel (Dany Boon) is milder mannered computer specialist. Mathias has fiancée Louise (Julie Bernard) who is Ruben's sister. Problem is that Ruben hates the French people so the relationship must stay secret.

Mathias Ducatel

Louise

Idiotic drug smugglers Monsieur Duval (Laurent Gamelon), Tiburce (Bruno Lochet) and Hammer (Laurent Capelluto) are trying one more operation before the new year. When the relations of Belgium and French customs officers become tense, Mathias and Ruben are assigned to mobile customs unit. The budget of the unit is low and their car is a junk.

Duval

Tiburce

Mobile customs unit

As there will be less passersby soon, cafeteria owners Irene (Karin Viard) and Jacques (François Damiens) Janus have to sell the business if only someone would be stupid enough to buy it. They become involved in the smuggling plot. Mathias and Ruben must overvome their prejudices, bust the smugglers and Mathias must also convince Louise's family. Easier said than done.

Jacques and Irene

Patrolling for smugglers

Fun comedy with theme of overcoming national prejudices. The style is quite like French comedies of 1970-80s.  The nice cast of goofy characters makes a good atmosphere. There is also nostalgic humour about 90s technology with big NMT-phones and malfunctioning computers. After the talkative start, the comedy gets more slapstick style when the two officers start patrolling the country roads. Philippe Rombi's music reminds a bit of Danny Elfman or John Williams. The plot goes quite predictable buddy comedy route, but Benoît Poelvoorde's explosive character makes it worth to watch.

Rating: Good

Starring: Benoît Poelvoorde, Dany Boon, Christel Pedrinelli, Karin Viard, Joachim Ledeganck, Philippe Magnan, Julie Bernard, Nadège Beausson-Diagne, Jean-Paul Dermont, Zinedine Soualem, François Damiens, Guy Lecluyse, Bouli Lanners ,Laurent Gamelon, Eric Godon, Bruno Lochet, Olivier Gourmet, Laurent Capelluto, Sylviane Aliet, Bruno Moynot, Jean-Luc Couchard ,Alexandre Carrière, Laurent Sobry, Jérôme Commandeur, David Coudyser, Nicolas Guy, Christophe Rossignon ,Jérôme Seydoux, Sophie Seydoux, Roland Lévy, Corinne Lévy, Jean-Claude Lagniez ,Patrick Vo ,Eliot, Sinead Shannon Roche Director: Dany Boon