Fuel is short in the African country of Congo and when charismatic thief Riva (Patsha Bay) finds himself in possession of a large quantity he quickly cashes in and begins to party.
Looking for the missing fuel is Cesar (Hoji Fortuna) and he will stop at nothing to get it back.
This film was made entirely in the Congo and won 6 awards at the African Movie Academy Awards.
It's a violent and sexy thriller that has a similar feel to that of City Of God but it does fall short in the entertainment department. The bad guys aren't particularly scary, Cesar looks a bit like a comedy pimp and the violence, while brutal, is also unintentionally funny.
More interesting than entertaining it shows great potential for the future of African films and anyone with an interest in world cinema will get something from it.
Viva Riva is released on DVD in the UK on 17th October 2011.
Ric's Rating: 58%
If it was filmed in the the Congo, the cinematography should be amazing.
ReplyDeleteYep, it has a cool look and a great feel Alex, it just falls a bit short.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking that, I bet that the cinematography is exotic-y & awesome.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say awesome Zena but it's good.
ReplyDelete