Roofman

Directed by: Derek Cianfrance Written by: Derek Cianfrance, Kirt Gunn

SUMMARY

After breaking out from prison, a convict hides out inside a Toy 'R Us store, surviving undetected for months. However, his secret life begins to unravel as he falls for a divorced mom. Ultimately, despite being given a chance to escape the country, he risks everything to say goodbye - and is caught in the act.

RATING

B

Roofman tells the true story of Jeff Manchester, who escaped prison and hid out inside a Toys 'R Us. The movie captures his ingenuity and resourcefulness with flair, but it falters emotionally, drifting into a middling family drama halfway through. Lacking a true moment of crisis, the story feels predictable and safe. In the end, Roofman is a very good film that never quite dares to be great.

What I most admired about this film was the restraint. Small town America, a story told perfectly. No hyperbole, very little moralising and a great deal of fun, particularly showcasing the hero's gymnastic abilities. But he was a low key hero, just working to solve everyday problems, how to find food, where to sleep. Two believable children, Kirsten Dunst putting in a good performance. Somebody worked hard on this script, the pastor and his wife providing an excellent comedy routine, Ben Mendelssohn in particular was excellent. Even the accomplice spoke perfectly believable commonsense, saying to the hero (I am paraphrasing) your practical skills are good but you are weak on the emotional level.

First off, I really wanted to give a 7.5, as I think a 7 is a bit too harsh, but an 8 too high. There are many things this movie gets right - the feel of the true story, the selling of Jeffrey's character, and the bizarre nature of the events. Channing Tatum manages to sell us on the polite, nice, smart, yet ultimately vexed character of Jeffrey Manchester.

Where it doesn't quite make it to an 8 for me is the pacing. The film starts strong, unfortunately meanders a bit in the middle but does eventually stick the ending, albeit in a slightly rushed fashion.

Trailers can show too much and sometimes show too little. The trailer for this film shows you just the right amount. It is a true story, so people can cheat and look up the story of Roofman aka Jeffrey Manchester. But I do not suggest this if you intend to see the movie. I went in clueless, except for the very entertaining, neat and tidy trailer. I am glad I took this approach. I enjoyed letting the story unfold. I enjoyed the tension not knowing what will happen to Jeffrey. I enjoyed this film very, very much.

My enjoyment of the film begins with a fantastic performance from Channing Tatum as Manchester. Jefferey Manchester is a family man at heart, a man who is on the outs with that family. He has been unsuccessful at keeping a job. He is an ex-soldier, and veterans sometimes have difficult assimilating back into society. His friend Steve (LaKeith Stanfield) is not helpful. He is, let's just say, a bit shady. The advice he gives Jeffrey is equally shady. Will Jeffrey listen to Steve?

If you see the trailer, you know that Jeffrey aka Roofman ends up spending some time in a Toys R Us (the last store went out of business in 2017, but the film is set between 1998 and 2004 - which is why we also see Blockbuster Video stores). You also know from the trailer that Peter Dinklage is in it (as store manager Mitch), and that the movie also features Kirsten Dunst (as Toys R Us employee Leigh Wainscott). Adding to this strong veteran cast is Ben Mendelsohn as Pastor Ron, and Uzo Aduba as his wife and co-pastor Eileen. Throw in Juno Temple for good measure as Steve's main squeeze and "business" partner, and you will look forward to seeing all these fine actors do some of their best work.

Full disclosure; do not expect the movie to be summarized by that trailer. Oh, it is entertaining enough, but it is also much more potent emotionally than I was prepared for by seeing that trailer. Which is good thing. This movie has a wonderful depth to it that was a surprise to me. A pleasant surprise. There is already some buzz about it slipping into The Golden Globe slate of nominations, and depending on what happens there it could have further representation in other award shows. This could provide yet one more surprise.

The movie has a lot to offer. Channing Tatum makes a fantastic and charming lead, and his acting his top-notch on several occassions. His reaction when he gets sentenced to 45-years in jail is impressive, with the tears welling up in his eyes ... The movie is based on a criminal who commits robberies. A common issue with these sort movies is that the protagonist doesn't come off as likable. But that's not the case at all here ... The most fun parts of the movie are clearly the opening and finale. Those parts focus on his criminal exploits, which are so paradoxly simple yet ingenious. If the movie weren't based on a true story, I would have called it unbelievable that someone could escape from prison and hide at a Toys R' Us in the manner depicted in the movie

The movie has a nice soundtrack. There's some elegant cinematography, such as one scene involving a Christmas balloon near the end. There is a late-1990s to mid-2000s vibe in the movie: you might nostaglia over seeing pay-phones, Toys R' Us, Blockbuster, and 1990s-style baggy pants.

The movie isn't perfect. The big flaw is that the blending of the genres isn't always done so smoothly . It's a crime movie at its core, but the movie also becomes part-comedy, part-romance, and part-family drama. Infact, the latter 2 - the romance and family drama - get so serious. Those parts become awkward contrast with the scattered comedy.

Related to that criticism, I have to admit that I didn't completely enjoy the middle portions, which focus on Tatum + Kirsten Dunst's romance as well as the domestic situation involving Kirsten Dunst's daughters. Though Tatum and Dunst have good chemistry, the movie basically becomes a straight Lifetime-ish romantic drama for a bit; and I found myself yawning

8.0/10.