FILM

Democratic Republic of Congo/France/Belgium 2010 98 mins Subtitles Dir: Djo Munga Starring: Patsha Bay, Manie Malone, Hoji Fortuna, Alex Herabo, Diplome Amekindra

The second Congolese flick of the year, 'Viva Riva!' is no uplifting liberal arthouse audience-pleaser like disabled musician doc 'Benda Bilili'. In fact, this slick, politically aware slice of Afrosploitation has more in common with 'City of God' and the films that came out of Jamaica in the early 70s. The difference is that scarce petrol takes the place of drugs as the commodity everyone craves.

The eponymous Riva (Bay) is a likeable if reckless and cocky young man who's just nipped across the border from Angola with a truckload of the petrol that's in such short supply in Kinshasa and is about to make him very rich indeed. During a celebratory evening of drinking and whoring, he spies unbelievably hot Nora (Malone) and decides he must have her. Alas, Nora is the moll of porn-addicted local bigshot Azor (Amekindra), who doesn't take kindly to this young horndog hanging around. But this is the least of Riva's problems, since the owner of the petrol, sharp-suited gangster Casar (Fortuna), has followed him across the border with hordes of goons, bent on exacting terrible revenge.

Director Djo Munga keeps things moving along at an impressive pace, with plenty of violence and explicit steamy sex (including a wholly gratuitous lesbian interlude). Later plot twists are a tad far-fetched and hinge upon the traditional failure to check whether vanquished foes are properly dead. The film takes a deeply cynical view of Congolese society, which is depicted as riddled with corruption from top to bottom, including the church. Historical tensions between Angolans and their neighbours are also laid bare, with the former frequently using the N-word to denigrate the latter. (Robin Askew)

website www.vivarivamovie.com/

Opens: July 24

Copyright Robin Askew 2011