FROM TORONTO: FILM PREVIEWS!

VIVA RIVA! – Djo Tunda Wa Munga (Democratic Republic Of The Congo, France/Belgium) *** Out of “Nollywood” comes this tale of a heist gone terribly wrong. Set in Kinshasa, this film comes pretty close to realizing the huge potential of cinematic talent that can be found in Africa. Dazzling camera work along with excellent acting (although sometimes a bit over the top), and a killer soundtrack combine to tell the tale of Riva played by Patsha Bay Mukuna, a would be hustler, player, and lover just trying to get his while being pursued by a group of Angolans he ripped off for a shipment of fuel. The Angolans, led by the ruthless Cesar (Hoji Fortuna, reminiscent of a tall Spike Lee, walk and all), coerce the lesbian military commandante Marlene Longage into helping them find Riva, who by this time has enlisted his buddy J.M. (Alex Herbo), to help sell the fuel and in the process make a killing in the fuel starved capital city of Kinshasa. To complicate matters further Riva has fallen hard for the beautiful red head, Nora, seductively played by the sexy Manie Malone, let’s not forget Nora’s jealous boyfriend Azor, convincingly played by Diplome Amekindra. He’s out to avenge his wounded pride and of course get his lady back by his side. Add to this whirlwind of action, the exotic location shots and the other players hustling to get over, and you end up with a highly entertaining film that was a hit at the festival…..tons of fun!

STATE OF VIOLENCE – Khalo Matabane (South Africa/France)*** This powerful, politically imbued tale of retribution for earlier transgressions, once again confirms Matabane’s status as one of Africa’s most influential young film makers. With his first feature, Conversations on a Sunday Afternoon, Matabane established his credentials and left many of us waiting to see what new vistas his talents would lead us to. Well, the wait is over. It’s modern day Jo’Burg and Bobedi (expertly played by Hotel Rwanda’s Fana Mokoena), is enjoying the bountiful fruits of his labour as part of the new black business elite. One evening him and his lovely wife Joy (Lindi Matshikiza), are chilling out at home when an intruder rocks his world as he witnesses Joy shot before his eyes. As the film unfolds, we learn that Bobedi has done things as a youth that he’s not proud of, and that he also has reasons to believe that Joy’s murder wasn’t just a random act of violence. The plot, as they say, thickens as numerous suspects with their own axes to grind are introduced. It all culminates in an ending that is both shocking and tragically sad, but truthful in its realization that justice is oftentimes complicated and unsatisfactory, while the commitment of past injudiciousness, however well intentioned, almost always ends in a bad way. This here one stays with you long after the credits roll …… haunting.

I SAW THE DEVIL – Kim Jee-won (South Korea)*** Somewhere in this bloody tale of revenge there’s a lesson to be learned, and it is that in the act of achieving vengeance we can sometimes set in motion forces that can overwhelm and irrevocably change who we are as a human. Or magnify it. Joon-yen (Lee Byung-hun), has just found out that his young fiancée has been horribly mutilated, raped and murdered. He narrows the suspects down to Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik), and proceeds to hunt him down utilizing the skills that he’s developed over the years as a trained secret agent/assassin. In the process, Joon discovers that his fiancée isn’t the only victim of Kyung, seems as though he’s a genuine serial killer who’s been at it for years. What ensues is a sadistic cat and mouse game with Joon inflicting physical damage upon Kyung at will, and supposedly exacting the revenge on his fiancée’s murderer, but in the process finding out that maybe he’s just as much a monster as Kyung…..extreme violence, blood and gore. Loved it!

OTHER FILMS OF INTEREST…. CASINO JACK, BARNEY’S VERSION, HEARTBEATS, RABBIT HOLE, STATE OF VIOLENCE, TAMARA DREWE, YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER, THE DEBT, DIRTY GIRL, LEGEND OF THE FIST: THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN, SUPER, PASSION PLAY, GIRLFRIEND, OLIVER SHERMAN, A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE, BLAME, CONVICTION, 22nd OF MAY, CAVES OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS, ANOTHER YEAR - VICTOR BAINS MARSHALL - Host of The Middle Passage - Weds. 5 - 7 p.m. www.ckln.fm.