Nothing to declare: the end could have been different

declare nothing : a comedy about the Franco-Belgian rivalry

After the impressive success of Welcome to the Ch’tisDany Boon puts the cover behind the camera with Nothing to report. The two films share a common desire to talk from the North of France. Here, in this case, he goes even further by flirting with our Belgian neighbors. The scenario begins in the early 90s, when the Treaty of Maastricht was signed. This progress in the collaboration between European countries is bad news for two customs officers posted at the border between France and Belgium.

Ruben Vandevoode, a notorious Francophobe, is forced to work with his French counterpart, Mathias Ducatel, to join the first joint Franco-Belgian brigade. Their collaboration will not be easy and these two characters will have to overcome their racist prejudices.

We feel with Nothing to report that Dany Boon wants to continue exploring the same subjects covered in Welcome to the Ch’tis, always using the humorous genre. Without managing to equal the score of its previous title, the project still manages to accumulate 8 million admissions in France. The director also continues to stage himself, granting himself one of the two central roles.

Another intended ending

His playing partner, Benoît Poelvoorde, could have seen his character end differently in an ending that was to be different. Dany Boon explained toAllocinatedwhen the film came out, that he had thought give Breton origins to Ruben’s father. A situation that would have been paradoxical for those who viewed the French with a dim view from Belgium. A country where he would not have been born, which really changed the vision we had of the character.

This revelation would have proven that he had become racist after being the victim. If the scene was shot, it did not find its place in the final cut. Dany Boon justifies himself by saying that it does not work in the same way as in writing.