Jay Rohr
Roofman may be guilty of stealing hearts. Yet, there’s a peculiar quality to this charming crime comedy that keeps the verdict unsure. The cast doesn’t hold the movie back, nor does any of its cinematic style. It’s the point of this picture which may strike some sidewise. That’s because Roofman rarely tells an audience what to feel. It offers the opportunity to experience complex emotions.
The story centers on Jeffrey Manchester played by Channing Tatum (Blink Twice). Desperate to impress his family financially, he robs forty-five McDonald’s by breaking in through the roofs, earning him the titular nickname. Jeffrey eventually lands in prison, where he quickly crafts a successful escape. While hiding out in a Toys “R” Us, he becomes romantically entangled with an employee there, Leigh played by Kirsten Dunst (Civil War). Despite heartstrings binding them tightly, it’s only a matter of time before Jeffrey must choose between escape and the person he loves.
Roofman is oozing with charm. That’s thanks in no small part to Channing Tatum, who could beguile the color off khakis. Dunst has her own appeal as a struggling single mother. However, it’s the chemistry between the two that fuels a lot of the picture. Dunst sells the image of a wounded woman resisting cynicism, who feels she’s found a kindred spirit. There’s a looming sense of tragedy as the two characters bring out the best in one another, though the audience is all too aware their bliss is doomed.
Roofman regularly shows a man making bad decisions repeatedly which eventually snowball into an avalanche he can either dodge or accept the impact. Unfortunately, both outcomes will hurt the people he loves. As such, the movie steadily becomes a tale of inevitable heartbreak, if audiences care about its central character.
That’s because nailing down what the film is trying to say feels a little slippery. There’s a desire to portray Jeffrey as a charming rogue, a simple fellow who made mistakes trying to do right by his family. Having become an outlaw, he’s forced to hide rather than be honest about his identity as he romances a single mother. The thing is there’s a creepy quality to this interaction from the get-go. He’s been, for lack of a better term, stalking her from his hidey hole until they interact face to face.
It’s this kind of juxtaposition that makes Roofman intriguing while simultaneously off-putting in a good way. Audiences are given circumstances without a clear side to lean towards. Some will see a sweet fellow looking to join a broken family, perhaps healing all in the process, while others witness a felon who got divorced in prison grifting a replacement for his lost wife and kids. Those who see a romantic rogue will root for Tatum, while others wonder what happens when the other shoe drops.
In many ways, Roofman is all about waiting for the consequences which are surely coming. Still, the movie holds off until the very end before moralizing. Jeffrey Manchester is, neither in real life nor this fictional depiction, treated as some type of Jean Valjean. His crimes are not an ethical quandary, yet the character is charming enough to almost make a viewer forget them. That’s because he isn’t exactly evil, simply someone comfortable committing crimes.
It doesn’t hurt that director Derek Cianfrance expertly stylizes a script he wrote with Kirt Gunn. Visually, Roofman is marvelous, especially in its subtle sensibilities. One fantastic scene has a steady camera closely following Tatum as he feels the police closing in. There’s always a sense of being watched; closeups when characters are having internal conflicts, their emotions all over their faces yet everyone around them oblivious.
The comedic elements are an interesting departure given Cianfrance’s previous work such as the moodier The Place Beyond the Pines (2012). Still, there’s a shared DNA between that film and this insofar as they’re about criminals who never really needed to be outlaws. More to the point, the humor in Roofman helps make it charming when Tatum commits crimes or contemplates a heist as opposed to the sinister implications of the movie’s overall cinematographer.
The result is a peculiar, blended atmosphere of jovial charming comedy contrasted by the gritty visual stylization of a darker crime drama. This clash creates a prevailing dissonance enhanced by the film’s plot points. The romance between Dunst and Tatum is sweet, though the surrounding circumstances are not. It leaves the audience wondering what exactly are they rooting for, which is essentially a criminal with no cause.
Peter Dinklage (Wicked) is wonderful as an unpleasant story manager, but his presence is so minimal the part could have been given to anyone. Sure, he does a great job with it. It just feels like casting a noticeable name for marketing rather than the role. The same can be said of Ben Mendelsohn (Freaky Tales) as a friendly pastor, or LaKeith Stanfield (The Book of Clarence) as a best buddy and criminal accomplice. Uvo Aduba (Orange is the New Black) and Juno Temple (Venom: The Last Dance) lend excellent support, though their roles amount to wife and girlfriend. The only performers given any meat are Dunst and Tatum, who thankfully nail their respective roles.
Roofman is a comedy inspired by an oddly light true crime. Instead of the usual bloody nightmare shared by whispering murder-porn addicts, it’s about a polite thief who fell in love while hiding out from the law. The film is overflowing with a peculiar charm that regularly, perhaps intentionally, distracts from the unsettling aspects of this story. Narratively, it’s like a candy bar that’s so tasty it covers up the sand inside it.
Channing Tatum is charming as ever, and the cast, especially Dunst, really help him shine. Slick stylization keeps events visually engaging, often contrasting absurd moments with noirish tones. Audiences will delight then wonder why they cared so much about a criminal’s romance. That’s because Roofman entertainingly sells the idea that the bad guy isn’t always a bad person.
