Roofman
“Roofman” and Channing Tatum are charming enough that they'll have you rooting for the bad guy who in many regards is a good guy.
Film Yap is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Movies like “Roofman” (in theaters beginning Friday, Oct. 10) don’t come along real often these days. It’s fun, funny, deeply sad, made for and by adults and based on a true story as opposed to some established piece intellectual property. Despite its modern bells and whistles (which aren’t all that modern as the flick takes place 20 years ago), “Roofman” feels far more akin to pictures made back in the 1970s.
Channing Tatum stars as Jeffrey Manchester, a United States Army Reserve veteran who’s having trouble keeping his family together. He and his wife Talena (Melonie Diaz, Tatum’s co-star in “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints”) are estranged as they don’t have two nickels to rub together – mostly he just wants to spend more time with their daughter Becky (Alissa Marie Pearson).
His Army buddy Steve (LaKeith Stanfield, busy having appeared in “Play Dirty” last week) makes the observation that Jeff’s superpower is a keen sense of observation, which somehow prompts him to begin robbing McDonald’s restaurants … 44 of ‘em to be exact. He generally broke into the fast food franchises by drilling through their roofs, which earned him a nickname that coincides with this film’s title.
Things are better between Jeff and Talena until the cops show up during Becky’s birthday party. Jeff gets busted and is thrown in the big house … from which he escapes. On the run in Charlotte, N.C., Jeff reaches out to Steve for assistance, but Steve tells him he’s too hot and to hit him up in a month. Jeff follows Steve’s instructions, but when he calls the phone is answered by Steve’s girlfriend Michelle (Juno Temple) who tells him he’s on a Middle East contracting gig for the next coupla months.
Jeff’s all on his own and seeks shelter within an oversized bike display at a Toys “R” Us department store. Jeff makes the best of his situation by receiving sustenance from baby food and Peanut M&M’s and bathing himself in the boy’s bathroom sink. He manages to turn off the security cameras, which gives him free reign of the store at night. He also steals a handful of baby monitors so he can keep an eye on what’s going on in the store from his (very) humble abode.
It’s on these screens that Jeff develops a strong dislike of the store’s manager Mitch (a very funny Peter Dinklage), an attraction to employee Leigh Wainscott (Kirsten Dunst) and sympathy for fellow employee Otis (Emory Cohen, reuniting with his “The Place Beyond the Pines” writer/director Derek Cianfrance).
Jeff, assuming the name John Zorn, donates stolen goods to a toy drive at Leigh’s church. The congregation is overseen by Pastor Ron (Ben Mendelsohn, another “Pines” alum … playing wholesomely against type) and his wife Eileen (Uzo Aduba). Jeff/John quickly charms the churchgoers … Leigh especially … and the two begin dating. He even attempts to ingratiate himself with her daughters Lindsay (Lily Collias) and Dee (Kennedy Moyer).
“Roofman” as co-written (alongside Kirt Gunn) and directed by Cianfrance is very on-brand for the moody moviemaker. It has the deep sadness of “Blue Valentine” and the criminal mischief of “Pines” with a healthy dose of the devil may care energy that’s marked many of Tatum’s collaborations with Steven Soderbergh thrown in for good measure. Speaking of Tatum, this may very well be the best acting of his career and one of my favorite performances of the year. There’s a moment of emotive physical acting from him that absolutely tore my heart out. Matching him at almost every turn is Dunst, who brings great character, decency and strength to this put-upon woman. They’re awesome individually and even better together.
“Roofman” and Tatum are charming enough that they had me caring about and rooting for the bad guy who in many regards is a good guy.