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Viva Riva! (Film)

by Catherine Brown | October 10, 2011 14:35 | Edited October 10, 2011 16:37

The thrills often feel too few and far between, but it’s packed with atmosphere and a rich sense of place.

Writer/director Djo Munga's highly stylised crime thriller, Viva Riva!, is a brutal exploration of the rarely glimpsed criminal underworld of The Congo. Riva (Patsha Bay) is a cunning but intelligent con man who stumbles upon the chance of a lifetime when he discovers a secret pile of gasoline. With fuel as rare as gold, Riva knows that he can move the shipment for a lucrative price, but unfortunately the fearsome local crime lord, Azor (Diplome Amekindra), is also looking to profit from the petrol. To make matters worse, Riva begins to lust after Azor's desirable but neglected mistress, Nora (Manie Malone), a move that only adds to the tension of his nail-biting quest to sell the gasoline.

 

If there's one thing that Munga achieves well in Viva Riva!, it's atmosphere. The Congo is not often featured as a cinematic backdrop and if it is, the culture of the place is rarely well embodied. The director deserves plaudits for not shying away from taking the audience on a highly visual journey through this confronting world, with locations that are both rich in character and fascinating to behold.

 

The film's main flaws, however, come courtesy of Munga's screenplay. While the plot itself is rather cliched, this could be forgiven if the film had managed to deliver the thrills that it should have, given its premise. Unfortunately, the narrative unfolds in a way that often makes it hard to maintain interest, and consistently reminds you of the fact that you've seen this story before. This aside, the film's high production values are unmistakable, with the intoxicating cinematography enriching Munga's dark vision, and an array of top-notch performances elevating the film above more standard crime fare.