This includes the awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography & Best Production Design, a feat that made it the highest winning film in the history of the
AMAA's till date.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]Viva Riva! also won at the 2011
MTV Movie Awards for Best African Movie.[9]
The film follows a fuel smuggler, Riva, after he brings a fuel shipment into
Kinshasa.[6] Riva is pursued by an Angolan gangster, Cesar, who wants the fuel. Cesar uses blackmail to gain the help of a local military officer, the Commandant, who then accesses a local informant and church resources to aid Cesar's search. Meanwhile, Riva falls for Nora, the partner of a local gangster, Azor. Riva gains the trust of a local boy and uses his help to find Nora again. The conflicts turn out to be deadly for almost all the main characters.
Reviews have been very positive. On
Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 87% based on reviews from 60 critics. The site's consensus states: "Vibrant and violent, Viva Riva is a stylish, fast-paced crime drama.".[10] On
Metacritic it has a score of 65% based on 16 reviews.[11]