“The Interview” didn’t turn out so great for Sony, what with the hacked servers, threats on theaters and loss of millions, not to mention the lukewarm critical reception. At any rate, it’s coming to Netflix this Saturday, January 24, so viewers who haven’t already seen it on VOD can check it out now. It’s hardly incisive political commentary, but it has more than its share of amusing moments. There’s also something personal in Seth Rogen, a goofball entertainer who took on a controversial subject, making a movie about a goofball entertainer trying to take on a controversial subject, as if he’s acknowledging that he works best within the realm of farce.
A few other highlights hitting Netflix this week: Sebastien Lelio’s “Gloria” (January 27), starring Paulina Garcia (who won the Berlin Film Festival’s Silver Bear prize for Best Actress) as a divorcee who begins a romance with an ex-naval officer; and Jon Favreau’s indie sleeper “Chef” (January 28) starring Favreau as a man who quits his job at a prominent L.A. restaurant to start his own food truck, likely a statement about Favreau leaving blockbuster franchises behind to tell personal stories again. Other things to check out at your own risk: the generic Forest Whitaker thriller “Repentance” (January 25) the second season of the CW’s “Beauty and the Beast,” and a Netflix original version of the faith-based children’s show “Veggie Tales,” titled “Veggie Tales in the House.”
More thoughts from the Criticwire Network:
“Chef”
Criticwire Average: B+
Susan Wloszczyna, RogerEbert.com
“Gloria”
Criticwire Average: A-
Eric Kohn, Indiewire
“The Interview”
Criticwire Average: B-
Jason Bailey, Flavorwire
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