Review of film: “VIVA RIVA!”

2011, 06-20:

Review of film:   “VIVA RIVA!”

 

 

Think of this as a Congolese POTBOILER centering on BRUTALITY...

...  The setting is Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa.  The country is rich in minerals, but has been beset by WARS and tribal feuds & poverty for the masses for decades...   (The film is in French, with English subtitles)...

...  Riva (PATSHA BAY MUKANA) sees himself as a “BIGSHOT”, & has plans to make a big “score” financially.  He’s in-effect stolen a bunch of OIL from neighboring Angola (the country to the west), & brought the barrels to Kinshasa which is suffering from a SHORTAGE of the product...

...  Patsha meets up with his old friend, J.M. (ALEX HERABO), who speaks of how much he likes being a “family” man.  Patsha tells Alex about the oil he’s hidden away, & liberally “spreads-around” cash, trying to be a “BIGWIG” to all around him...

...  What Patsha doesn’t especially tell Alex is, César (HOJI FORTUNA) -- the big Angolan crime lord from whom Patsha had stolen the oil – is hell-bent on VENGEANCE & RECOVERING the product, bringing his henchmen to Kinshasa to try to find Patsha...

...  Hoji works to enlist the aid of a female military Commander in the area (MARLENE LONGAGE), who’s willing to do almost anything for the MONEY she’s offered--  & also because Hoji makes her think he’s holding her SISTER back in Angola...

...  Patsha is always acting the “important person” around everyone (including his old friend, Mother Edo, played by NZITA TUMBA)...

...  Patsha goes with Alex to a fancy night club, & instantly becomes attracted to Nora (MANIE MALONE)-- a fairly slutty-acting gold-digger who happens to be the “property” of a local crime thug boss named Azor (DIPLOME  AMEKINDRA)...

...  Diplome is less than “thrilled” with the obvious attention Patsha is paying towards Manie, & “THREATENS” him to stay away.  But, typically, Patsha puts on a “TOUGH-GUY” act rather than “backing down” (initially)...

...  All that leads to a situation where both Hoji & Diplome are going “AFTER” Patsha, who doesn’t want to sell his oil until the value rises some more & doesn’t want to “give in” to those pursuing him in any case...

...  There are numerous “CONFRONTATIONS” between Hoji & various bribe-seeking Congolese authorities, & Hoji keeps using the “help” of Marlene who frequently is having lesbian sex with her Whorehouse Madam / lover Malou (ANGELIQUE MBUB)...

...  Yes, you probably get the picture:  this is a “FAMILY” movie (if your family is related to the Borgias or some SERIAL KILLERS or the like...)

...  Who will “catch-up” to PATSHA first, & what will “HAPPEN” to him when that occurs?...  Will he get “with” MANIE as he hopes?...  How will things “END” for the main characters?...

...  This film reportedly got “enthusiastic reviews” when it played at the 2010 Toronto Film Festival...  I can’t quite imagine WHY (unless there’s a lot of people “desperate” for sex-related “action” films)...

...  As I’ve said a number of times previously, while SOME people quite like bloody, gory, VICIOUS movies, I am NOT ONE of those people--  & this is a “PAEAN” to that “genre”...

...  On a TECHNICAL level, especially considering that it’s from a “3^rd world” country with not much a movie “industry” to speak of, the film is well-done, with accomplished & finely-PHOTOGRAPHED scenes of a poor & often forlorn area teeming with “distressed” & unfortunate people...   

...  And, the ACTING is “decent”, considering the extremes of the roles as set-up in the script...

...  But, that being said, there is (to me) horribly POOR PLOTTING & CHARACTERIZATIONS: 

...  One minute, characters (such as Patsha & Marlene) are acting all “rough” & “tough”, & the next minute, they’re suddenly INEPT at fighting & “CRYING” when being beat-up;  then, a minute after that, they’re acting all “TOUGH” again + (shown by Marlene & Manie) often changing “sides” between Hoji & Patsha!...

...  Alex is a loving “family man” one minute, & then he’s BEATING-UP his woman not long after that...  And, that was one of the biggest TURNOFFS to me:        

...  This film is like a “textbook” on MISOGYNY:  women are regularly being threatened,  PUNCHED, smacked around and / or SHOT (or stabbed) by men in this movie.  It’s so often pointlessly BRUTAL, that it came across as a massive “DISPLEASURE”...

...  This film is being planned for general release probably some time in the summer.  For it’s “technical” attainment (re the filming & acting), I could give it a 5 out of 10 stars;  for its “MESSAGE(S)”, I’d give it like a ZERO...

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