I love the crime drama genre, but Viva Riva just doesn't offer the viewer any reasons to care about anything. The plot is very straightforward and all the characters are selfish assholes. After a while I realised I didn't really care how things would turn out for anyone, kind of a bummer. The sexy and brooding atmosphere was nice though.

Starts off sexy and glamourous, then goes all Pulp Fiction on us, and ends up a bit too far down the "kill everyone" road. However, at no point on the rollercoaster ride does it reveal any intelligence, power or character depth. It's a bunch of cartoon villains, heroes, sidekicks and sexpots chasing each other in meaningless circles of guns, cars and cash. Only in the final family scene does Riva have any semblance of depth. More of a step sideways than forwards, for African cinema.

"The landscape may have changed, but Viva Riva!'s story is a familiar one." - Ilya Tovbis

The fact that this gangster flick is from a sociopolitical hotspot like Congo gives it a more exotic and dangerous vibe. Doesn't avoid all the clichés of the genre, but still quite entertaining.