Roofman review

ROOFMAN: 

CHANNING TATUM TOYS R US CRIME COMEDY IS ILLEGAL FUN! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND MIRAMAX

Channing Tatum in Roofman

 

            A criminal hides out inside a Toys R Us store in Roofman, a crime comedy from director Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines, The Light Between Oceans) based on the true story of real-life spree robber Jeffrey Manchester. Yeah, I was onboard for this movie when I heard the premise and saw the trailer though I know nothing about what actually went down. 

            It looked like a fun, quirky comedy with a silly albeit fact-based plot with Channing Tatum (21/22 Jump Street,Magic Mike trilogy, Deadpool & Wolverine) as a charismatic robber with a heart of gold and forming a relationship with Kirsten Dunst (Bring It On, Spider-Man trilogy, Marie Antoinette). That’s pretty much what I got and I quite enjoyed my time with this film. 

            It’s not really a movie that’s filled with twists and turns and you can easily figure out what kind of film this is just by the trailer. Nevertheless, I found this to be a very entertaining, funny, and heartfelt look at one of the craziest true stories you could possibly imagine. 

            The film follows Jeffrey Manchester/The Roofman (Tatum), a struggling father turned criminal who robs from various businesses and establishments (e.g. McDonalds…oh, and one Burger King too!) for the sake of providing for his children and ex-wife. But after a daring escape from prison, Jeffrey hides in a Toys R Us store for six months, disables the security cameras, and sets up a hiding spot inside the store where no one will find him. 

            However, Jeffrey begins to form a strong bond with one of the employees and single mother, Leigh Wainscott (Dunst) who is drawn to his charms and completely unaware that he is actually the criminal hiding in the store. Little does Jeffrey know that his double life is about to be turned upside down in a chaotic game of cat and mouse. 

            The film also stars Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Ready Player One, Captain Marvel) as pastor Ron Smith, Peter Dinklage (Elf, Game of Thrones, Avengers: Infinity War) as Mitch, Uzo Aduba (Orange Is the New Black, Steven Universe, Lightyear) as Eileen, Juno Temple (Black Mass, Unsane, Venom: The Last Dance) as Michelle, Emory Cohen (The Place Beyond the Pines, Brooklyn, The Bikeriders) as Otis, LaKeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You, Uncut Gems, Judas and the Black Messiah) as Steve, and Melonie Diaz (Lords of Dogtown, Fruitvale Station, The First Purge) as Jeffrey’s ex-wife Talana. 

            Overall, Roofman is a funny and surprisingly heartfelt heist that shows Derek Cianfrance’s talents as a comedic director without sacrificing his dramatic flair. This is a significantly lighter film than Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines, but it doesn’t shy away from heavy subject matter like divorce and desperately trying to provide for your family. 

            One of the things this movie does incredibly well is humanize the titular Roofman and despite him robbing people, the film doesn’t portray him like the “Bad Guy”, he’s just doing what he feels he needs to do for the sake of his family and Dunst and her kids later. Also, the guy is just so polite when he’s robbing businesses, doesn’t try to get violent, and calls 911 himself to get everyone out after his heist is finished, why can’t more criminals be like the Roofman? That’s a sentence! 

            Channing Tatum is perfectly cast in this role as he naturally has a ton of charm and charisma in almost everything he’s in. So, him portraying like a Robin Hood-ish burglar hiding in a Toys R Us seems like something he can do in his sleep. 

            Kirsten Dunst is also very likable as Leigh, the employee who Tatum befriends and falls for, not gonna lie, despite the circumstances, Tatum and Dunst have really great chemistry here. I love seeing them interact with each other and Tatum bonding with Dunst’s kids, it’s just so wholesome and adds to the film’s heart. 

            Peter Dinklage is funny too as the store manager who’s also a complete dick, typical miserable retail manager stereotype that I feel like a lot of people can relate to. He gets some laughs as a higher-up that you just want to punch in the fucking face when he says or does something douchey. 

            If you grew up in the 2000s or are nostalgic for Toys R Us, this movie is practically covered in “Member Berries” which honestly adds to the fun. Seeing old video games like The Simpsons: Hit & Run and The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, the Tickle Me Elmo doll, Spider-Man merchandise (That totally wasn’t there because Kirsten Dunst was in the original Spider-Man movies!), plushies of Stitch and Sonic the Hedgehog on the shelves, etc. I felt like I was a kid again watching this film every time they showed the store merchandise…who secretly watched this R-rated movie while his parents were sleeping…or snuck into a movie theater. 

            Roofman is a very enjoyable film that delivers on laughs and feels, it’s certainly an unexpected movie from Derek Cianfrance, but it shows his talents in new ways we’ve never seen before. This is one gloriously crazy heist that’s worth coming back to and I most definitely will come back to it again soon.