Reviews of Viva Riva! 2011
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30 Films from 30 Countries, nr7: Congo
Fun as a look-in to an exotic and chaotic nation (continent), but this is a mess. The actors, if you can call them that, aren't helped much by the script, but it is pretty hard to sit through this, I must admit. The lead guy should consider being an Omar Epps impersonator, because he's sure as hell not an actor.
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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…
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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. -
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A complete mess of a film! It's best to avoid this one!
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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…
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