Channing Tatum is “Roofman” in the new Paramount Pictures film. Derek Cianfrance directed from a screenplay that he co-wrote with Kirt Gunn.
Aside from Tatum, it also stars Kirsten Dunst, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Melonie Diaz, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, Jimmy O. Yang and Peter Dinklage.
In this crime comedy movie, Tatum portrays Jeffrey Manchester, a real-life spree robber who hid in a Toys “R” Us store. The fact that it is based on a true story makes it that much more appealing.
The synopsis is: “Roofman” follows Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum), an Army veteran and struggling father who turns to robbing McDonald’s restaurants by cutting holes in their roof ceilings, and that earned him the nickname “Roofman,” and rightfully so.
After escaping prison in a clever fashion, Jeffrey flees to a Toys “R” Us store, and secretly lives there for six months, where he is thriving and surviving undetected while also planning his next moves.
Jeffrey subsequently falls for Leigh (Kirsten Dunst), a Toys “R” Us employee and a divorced mother who is drawn to his undeniable charm and handsome nature.
Jeffrey’s double life begins to unravel, thus setting off a game of cat and mouse as his past closes in, which is filled with mystery, action, drama, comedy, and suspense.
Kristen Dunst is lovely in the role of Leigh; her performance in the movie is incredibly real and moving, thus making both her and Tatum’s performances extremely relatable; moreover, Dunst and Tatum’s affecting rapport allows for more resonance.
Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”) plays Mitch, the Toys “R” Us manager that everyone loves to hate.
Ben Mendelsohn is memorable as pastor Ron Smith, while Uzo Aduba is radiant as his wife Eileen (they both accept Jeffrey into their lives and church, who is known to them by his fictitious name “John Zorn”).
Actor Edward Bayer remarked, “This movie was really well done. The cast resembles the real people but they didn’t take any concessions with their acting chops. It was brilliantly cast.”
“The end cameos of the real people involved in Jeffrey Manchester’s life are an added bonus,” Bayer added.
The Verdict
Overall, Channing Tatum delivers one of the best acting performances of his career in “Roofman,” which runs the gamut. (Perhaps his best performance to date is “Foxcatcher” where he was transformative and Oscar-worthy as Olympic gold medalist wrestler Mark Schultz).
Tatum layers his emotions well and he is able to take his audience on a wild and bumpy criminal adventure that showcases what a mastermind Jeffrey Manchester was in his youth, especially being able to escape from jail and live in a toy store for a prolonged period of time.
Tatum proves that he is more than just a good-looking face. He is able to humanize a flawed, tortured, and complex man such as Jeffrey who made some wrong decisions in his life for the right reasons (to try to reconcile relationships with the people he loves and cares about).
The direction by Derek Cianfrance was solid, where he was able to balance the suspenseful moments with the emotional ones, as well as the comedic relief ones and the romance (between Jeffrey and Leigh).
The film deserves to be enjoyed for its honesty and authenticity in bringing Jeffrey Manchester’s extraordinary story to life.
The screenplay is able to fulfill the ensemble cardinal rule for comedy, where each actor in this versatile and gifted cast is given their own unique characterization. It’s a raw and unflinching story that is filled with empathy and nostalgia (such as Toys “R” Us, Blockbuster Video cameos, and retro McDonald’s restaurants).
“Roofman” is worth more than just a passing glance, and it garners 4.5 out out of 5 stars. Well done. Grab some popcorn and allow Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst to lure you in.
