Djo Munga has made a magnificent movie on a shoestring in Kinshasa. All hail to him! His hero, Riva of the title (Patsha Bay) is a daring, foolhardy type like all heroes, and he has no fear at all of stealing from gangster Azor (Diplome Amekindra) his gorgeous girl-friend, Nora, played by the ravishing Manie Malone. He has one more truckload of fuel in a city having a fuel crisis. Cesar (Hoji Fortuna) is also after it, as are several others, including a lady military officer (La Commandante: Marlene Longange). Even Riva's parents get a look-in. Everybody appears sooner or later in this wonderful picture. The great thing is that when somebody swings a punch, someone falls, hurt. And, by the same token, when somebody shoots a gun, people fall, but they do get up again in many cases. These are real people involved in a fiction film. It's a great work of art and I strongly recommend it.
Review of Viva Riva!
