Viva Riva!
Synopsis
Riva is an operator, a man with charm and ambition in equal measure. Kinshasa is an inviting place. With petrol in short supply in DRC's capital, he and his sidekick pursue a plot to get hold of a secret cache - barrels of fuel they can sell for a huge profit. Of course they're not the only ones who want the stuff.
Popular reviews
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The dirty crimes of Zaire
Melded onto our aesthetics.
Because Africa
Needs a Michael Bay
And I'm totally serious."I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
-Evelyn Beatrice Hall, The Friends of VoltaireA profoundly silly movie, that's more or less the type of American gangster movie that is over-the-top in so many ways, while also annoyingly moralizing. And yet, an important film in many ways: manages to make its narrative culturally specific to the issues of contemporary Zaire (petroleum stealing, tensions with Angola, corruption in both church and state), and while certainly not a critique by any means, it is at least a film that can work through…
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An enjoyably fast-paced gangster thriller, which is marred by some inexplicable character actions and a bizarre conclusion.
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I think this may be our first African film, and what a place to start .. set in the city of Kinshasa, Riva has returned from Angola with his pockets full of cash, determined to have a good time .. trouble is, it's not his money, and his old boss wants it back ...
This film is violent and exciting, spoken in a mix of French and Langala, but the sub-titles were very easy to follow. Quite a few sex scenes as well, so not for the faint of heart! Brilliant. -
Violent but sexy in a weird way....
Recent reviews
More-
The dirty crimes of Zaire
Melded onto our aesthetics.
Because Africa
Needs a Michael Bay
And I'm totally serious."I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
-Evelyn Beatrice Hall, The Friends of VoltaireA profoundly silly movie, that's more or less the type of American gangster movie that is over-the-top in so many ways, while also annoyingly moralizing. And yet, an important film in many ways: manages to make its narrative culturally specific to the issues of contemporary Zaire (petroleum stealing, tensions with Angola, corruption in both church and state), and while certainly not a critique by any means, it is at least a film that can work through…
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An enjoyably fast-paced gangster thriller, which is marred by some inexplicable character actions and a bizarre conclusion.
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A complete mess of a film! It's best to avoid this one!
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I think this may be our first African film, and what a place to start .. set in the city of Kinshasa, Riva has returned from Angola with his pockets full of cash, determined to have a good time .. trouble is, it's not his money, and his old boss wants it back ...
This film is violent and exciting, spoken in a mix of French and Langala, but the sub-titles were very easy to follow. Quite a few sex scenes as well, so not for the faint of heart! Brilliant. -
Although shot with confidence and attitude this Congolese gangster film has one differentiating attribute and that is its country of origin. If it wasn’t made in a country not known for its genre cinema (at least not internationally) I doubt this would have ever received much attention let alone a European theatrical release.
The film does capture the seedy life of a gangster in Kinshasa and the violence is hard hitting and occasionally shocking but it is pretty much the only things that stand out. The characters are crude with barely passable performances. The story is predictable and daft and the film throws in loads of sex like it is a Direct-to-DVD movie desperately trying to gain attention. There are far better examples of African cinema deserving of your attention.
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Violent but sexy in a weird way....
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