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Viva Riva!

Play trailer Poster for Viva Riva! R Released Jun 10, 2011 1h 36m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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87% Tomatometer 60 Reviews 50% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
With the Democratic Republic of Congo suffering from a gasoline shortage, criminal Riva (Patsha Bay) comes back home with gasoline stolen from his sometime employer, Cesar (Hoji Fortuna). Determined to use his new wealth to have a good time, Riva hits the town with longtime friend J.M. (Alex Herabo). At a club, Riva meets gorgeous Nora (Manie Malone) and steals her away from her gangster boyfriend, Azor (Diplome Amekindra). With both Cesar and Azor after him, Riva struggles to stay alive.
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Viva Riva!

Viva Riva!

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Critics Consensus

Vibrant and violent, Viva Riva is a stylish, fast-paced crime drama.

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Critics Reviews

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Chris Chang Film Comment Magazine Meet Riva (the spectacular Patsha Bay), a man who thrives on scarcity: he smuggles gas, and has recently come upon a mother lode-which becomes, of course, a powder keg. Nov 7, 2013 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times A slick, exciting, well-made crime thriller, dripping with atmosphere. Rated: 3.5/4 Aug 18, 2011 Full Review Rick Groen Globe and Mail Rated: 3/4 Aug 12, 2011 Full Review Jack Fleischer Battleship Pretension In the end, this extremely dark and voyeuristic journey was something I'd never seen before, and I absolutely dug it. Mar 24, 2021 Full Review Kelly Jane Torrance Washington Examiner Viva Riva! is the directorial debut of Djo Munga, and this clever caper makes him a man to watch. Rated: 3.5/5 Jan 8, 2019 Full Review Sarah Manvel Critic's Notebook It's brilliant to see a movie where the script is as smart as the staging, and where the staging doesn't just make you wonder how much it has cost. And it's so much fun to see a movie that takes its perfect setup and perfectly delivers. Aug 9, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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R 9 I mean, it commits to its story, that's for sure. 'Viva Riva!' is a crime thriller that truly is just that, as there are no good characters (except Anto, I guess!) - just a bunch of criminals slogging it out across 90 or so minutes. I'm not entirely sure if I like it or not. On the one hand it goes around in circles without anything story-wise actually happening, but on the other hand it actually is kinda fun seeing every character at each other's necks without the film shoehorning a goodie. Patsha Bay, Hoji Fortuna and Manie Malone put in solid performances, Marlene Longage is alright as well. The cast aren't anything amazing but do all work together well, all suiting their respective roles. Bay and Malone share a rather, erm, 'creative' sex scene at around the 41 minute mark, which was more amusing than anything else. Not one I'll remember or likely revisit, though it is a flick that I'd personally consider as passable. Nice to see a film from the DRC, too. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/25/24 Full Review Audience Member Decently shot film, inhabited by weak characters, going through the motions of a just average script in an effort with very little to actually say or contribute to the genre of crime drama. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Audience Member Kinshasa is calling. Pénurie de pétrole au Congo. Quand Riva revient à Kinshasa avec des barils à écouler au marché noir, il gagne énormément d'argent dont il compte profiter à outrance. Bémol numéro 1 : les barils ont été volés à son ancien employeur, qui ne compte pas laisser Riva s'en tirer aussi aisément. Bémol numéro 2 : Riva a flirté avec Nora, ce qui ne plaît pas à son copain actuel, le gangster Azor, qui a la rancune facile. Avec ces 2 hommes aux fesses, Riva va devoir faire son possible pour rester en vie. Qui est Riva ? Un congolais qui est apparemment responsable de la mort de son frère, qui a abandonné ses parents et est parti en Angola travailler pour un malfrat qui est dans le pétrole, a roulé ce dernier et revient à Kinshasa pour dépenser le fric gagné suite à ce vol. Comment ? En se tapant des prostituées, en sortant boire de l'alcool dans des clubs, en voulant séduire la nana d'une petite frappe locale. Ensuite ? Rencontres de plein de personnages absolument antipathiques qui finiront tous par mourir (ou presque), et limite on en est bien content ! A Kinshasa, rien ne va. Est-ce ce qu'a voulu nous dire le réalisateur ? Car c'est ce qui ressort de ce film. Tout y est pourri : les militaires, la police, l'église, la famille. C'est trop voyeur avec les très nombreuses scènes de cul à tout va. Et les filles ? On y voit des p****, des ripoux ou des mères de famille qui se font taper dessus. Beaux portraits ! Quel est ce personnage de fille aux cheveux rouges qui sort avec un voyou, danse comme une p***, se laisse toucher comme dans un porno dans les clubs, se tapait le proviseur de son école quand elle était jeune, mais refuse qu'on l'appelle une p*** ??? L'aspect polar est bien rendu, mais les personnages m'ont tellement dégoutée que les côtés positifs en ont été cachés. Entre choc et trash, il n'y a qu'une fine limite, que ce film a franchi allègrement Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member exciting well made crime thriller from the rep of congo as a hustler has a way of making cash in the gas starved country Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting Congolese crime-drama. Good set up and initial plot. Drifts in the middle but has a very gritty, un-Hollywood ending (which is a good thing). Solid performances all round. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member With 12 nominations and 6 wins, including Best Picture it's no surprise this is the most famous foreign-language African film. "A slick, exciting, well-made crime thriller, dripping with atmosphere." Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Viva Riva!

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis With the Democratic Republic of Congo suffering from a gasoline shortage, criminal Riva (Patsha Bay) comes back home with gasoline stolen from his sometime employer, Cesar (Hoji Fortuna). Determined to use his new wealth to have a good time, Riva hits the town with longtime friend J.M. (Alex Herabo). At a club, Riva meets gorgeous Nora (Manie Malone) and steals her away from her gangster boyfriend, Azor (Diplome Amekindra). With both Cesar and Azor after him, Riva struggles to stay alive.
Director
Djo Munga
Producer
Djo Munga
Screenwriter
Djo Munga, Djo Munga
Distributor
Music Box Films
Rating
R (Language|Graphic Nudity|Brutal Violence|Some Drug Use|Strong Sexuality)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 10, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 26, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$61.8K
Runtime
1h 36m
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