There’s an easy going charm to Roofman, the true crime film based on the real life exploits of Jeffrey Manchester.
Co-written by Kirt Gunn and Derek Cianfrance (who also directs), the film finds Channing Tatum playing a former Army Reserve officer who is having difficulty fitting into regular society. Jeff desperately wants to provide for his children, but he’s not working and seemingly doesn’t have a useful skill set.
After inadvertent nudging by army vet Steve (LaKeith Stanfield), who now runs a successful document forgery business, Jeff undertakes a string of brazen robberies of fast food franchises. He always enters through a hole in the roof – hence the film’s title – but Jeff is so kind that when he locks employees in the freezer before absconding with the money, Jeff will even lend one (Tony Revolori) his coat.
It’s not long before Officer Scheimreif (Molly Price) zeroes in on the family man, arresting him on his daughter’s birthday and sending him away for a lengthy prison sentence. Faced with the prospect of missing out on his children’s lives, Jeff uses his talent for observation to mount an escape. With nowhere to go until Steve can hook him up with travel documents to flee the country, Jeff winds up squatting in a Toys “R” Us. As he settles in for an M&M peanut fuelled stay, Jeff begins eavesdropping on the work drama between capitalist manager Mitch (Peter Dinklage) and his employees, the most notable of which is single mother Leigh Wainscott (Kirsten Dunst).
If Roofman weren’t based on a true story, the idea of Jeff not only building a nest for himself, but devising a way to sneak out, befriend, and eventually even date Leigh, would seem preposterous. But Cianfrance confidently negotiates the ridiculous plot developments with the more grounded (romantic) drama elements to create a genuine crowd-pleasing text.
It doesn’t hurt that Tatum is adept at every subgenre Roofman is dabbling in. The actor can handle physical comedy scenes, such as a naked, soap-covered Jeff running into Mitch after hours, as easily as a lunch date in which Jeff woos an entire congregation of single women from Leigh’s church.
The film’s other key asset is the chemistry between Tatum and Dunst, who have an easy-going naturalism that helps to offset the film’s wackier shenanigans. Roofman tends to stick to the familiar rom-com playbook, including such natural relationship obstacles as petulant teenage daughters, as well as the ticking clock (represented by a X’d out calendar) as Jeff counts down the days to his departure in between holidays with Leigh.
Naturally that the crime and romance plots intersect in the climax, but it’s proof of Roofman‘s effectiveness that the audience is rooting for Jeff to stay with – or at least confide in – Leigh, as much as we want him to take the money, his hilariously atrocious hairpiece, and flee.
If there is a drawback to the film, it is the real-life character rehabilitation and hand-waving away of Jeff’s criminal behaviour. Within the world of the film, the robberies are presented as victimless crimes on major franchises with plenty of insurance (McDonalds is the prime target). The screenplay also goes out of its way to offer audiences the reassurance that no one was ever harmed.
*But* the reality is that Jeff was a career criminal. The credits, which feature interviews and news footage of the real people, clarify that Jeff was a career criminal who escaped from prison several times. In this way Roofman comes dangerously close to excusing the real-life figure because he was lovable, goofy, had a charming romance with a kind woman, and is portrayed by the extremely likeable Channing Tatum.
This is something of a minor gripe, however (it is arguably also not the responsibility of the film). Taken strictly as a piece of mass market entertainment, this is a delightful film. Adeptly mixing romance, comedy, and crime, Roofman is a crowd-pleaser with broad appeal. 4/5
Roofman is out in theatres Oct 10