65
Metascore
16 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83Portland OregonianMarc MohanPortland OregonianMarc MohanDigitally shot, the film looks great, and the performances ooze charisma. The biggest star, though, may be Kinshasa itself, a roiling, barely cohesive sea of humanity that seems as if it could serve as a backdrop for some fascinating films for years to come.
- Driven by its charismatic upstart gangster protagonist Riva, the film is one joyride that knows it will careen into a spectacular crash. Djo Tunda wa Munga captures the particular vibe released by this mixture of carpe diem and self-destructive instinct.
- 80Time OutEric HynesTime OutEric HynesThe first major motion picture to come out of Congo in decades happens to be one of the best neonoirs from anywhere in recent memory.
- 80Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLos Angeles TimesRobert AbeleAs gut-punch storytelling, Viva Riva! delivers much, not the least of which is the promise of an exciting new filmmaking talent.
- Frenetic, sleazy, and entertaining as all hell, Viva Riva! is a stylish and (save for the NC-17 it'd certainly earn) multiplex-worthy crime drama from, of all unexpected places, the Democratic Republic Of The Congo.
- 70The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisRepackaging the revenge thriller in parakeet colors and distinctive African beats, the Congolese writer and director Djo Tunda Wa Munga gives Viva Riva! a playful sensuality that goes a long way toward disguising formula.
- 60Boxoffice MagazineTim CogshellBoxoffice MagazineTim CogshellIt takes from American gangster classics ("White Heat" and both "Scarface" films come to mind) but its unique setting and underlying themes give it distinction.
- 50Village VoiceMelissa AndersonVillage VoiceMelissa AndersonThe first from the Democratic Republic of Congo to be distributed in the U.S. That in itself is worthy of some kind of celebration, even if Viva Riva! too lazily indulges in shapeless genre excess.
- 40New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierNew York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierUnfortunately, despite the sweaty, tense atmosphere, Viva Riva becomes derivative of the duller scenes in other gangster flicks.
- 38Slant MagazineSlant MagazineThe near-slapstick escapes sit uneasily with the raw bits of very adult sex and cringe-worthy close-ups of brutality that dominate the rest of the proceedings.