PLOT: A former U.S. Army officer (Channing Tatum) becomes a thief in order to provide for his family. After being caught and getting the book thrown at him, he escapes prison and makes a home for himself at a Toys “R” Us in Charlotte, North Carolina.
REVIEW: I think it’s safe to say that Channing Tatum, at this point in his career, has more than proved early naysayers wrong. He’s delivered a string of excellent performances, but with Roofman he truly delivers one of the most affecting performances of the year in a role that would feel tailor-made for him were it not based on a true story. Tatum, after his early roles, reinvented himself as a lovable goof, and that’s kind of exactly how his character, Jeffrey Manchester, comes off. While a genius in some ways, Manchester’s own good nature keeps him from being much of a criminal. The movie opens with him robbing a McDonald’s and locking the staff in the freezer, but when he realizes one of the employees doesn’t have a coat, he gives the employee his own in order to keep him comfortable. He’s a brilliant observer, but too damn nice for his own good.
All that makes Manchester a very compelling anti-hero in Roofman, which comes from Derek Cianfrance. Known for the grim Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines, he displays a light touch in this humane comedy-drama, with Tatum a deeply empathic lead. You want Manchester to somehow come out ahead, even if he’s an incorrigible criminal. Cianfrance’s movie reminded me of the best of seventies cinema, with Tatum getting the kind of role here someone like Paul Newman or Robert Redford might have played in their heyday.
More than anything, it’s a deeply affecting romance. When Manchester hides in a Toys “R” Us, he can’t help but develop an attraction to one of the employees, Kirsten Dunst’s Leigh, a single mom with a good heart. When he overhears her trying to convince her bullying boss (Peter Dinklage – meaner than ever) to donate some returned toys to a church drive, Manchester can’t help but help her out, only to find himself quickly adopted by her quirky congregation, run by a singing husband-and-wife duo played by Ben Mendelsohn and Uzo Aduba, who think he’d be the perfect romantic match for Leigh.
Much of the film revolves around their growing relationship, with the sweet-natured Manchester quickly adopted by her children, while they both fall deeper in love with each other. Tatum has this kind of puppy-dog quality, where he can sometimes barely make eye contact with the girl he likes (despite his movie-star good looks and eight-pack), while Dunst’s Leigh is one of her best roles, being a kindhearted woman who’s been around the block a few times and can’t quite believe how lucky she’s gotten with her kind new love interest. Of course, this gives the movie a tragic air, as we all know that if a movie is being made about a real-life con, he likely didn’t have too happy an ending, making their courtship almost achingly sad at times. It’s been a while since we’ve gotten a good love story that didn’t drown in sap, and this is a great one.
Hopefully Roofman is a smash hit for Paramount, as this is the kind of studio filmmaking we need more of. It tells a relatable, moving story in a fun way—and is a movie I believe many of our readers will treasure once it comes out. It’s certainly one of the best movies I’ve seen this year, and maybe the only studio movie this year besides F1, Sinners, Caught Stealing, and Weapons that really made me feel the way I used to whenever I saw a movie I loved. They gave me a true cinematic experience, and I think Tatum and Dunst deserve some Oscar love this year.
