It’s always intriguing when a big star breaks late, bucking preconceived notions and limits to their talents with a singular showcase that more than proves their worth. Channing Tatum absolutely does that in “Roofman,” shedding the heartthrob shackles and ushering in a new era of irresistible charm and an emotionally nuanced performance. Don’t get me wrong, writer/director Derek Cianfrance is sure to remind us Tatum is a tall glass of water, complete with plenty of “he has abs!” shots and giving us an almost full frontal nude sequence. So while we can’t forget that the film’s star is tall and handsome, this film never hinges on it, nor does Tatum’s performance. Cianfrance knows what he has and digs deeper into what’s there at least on the surface, drawing a tremendous amount of heart from both the crime dramedy story and the most his lead has given us probably ever.
Based on the unbelievable true story, “Roofman” follows Jeffrey Manchester (Tatum), a down on his luck veteran with a sharp observant eye that he uses to rob fast food chain restaurants to provide for his family. After 45 robberies and earning the nickname Roofman (he enters all locations from the roof) he is caught and sentenced to 50+ years in prison. Jeff finds a flaw in the guard system and exploits it to escape, a sequence that is filmed really well and engaging. With no plan and no way out of the city during the manhunt, he finds refuge in the roof and later a hollow display inside a Toys R Us where he hides undetected for nearly a year. Jeff is too kind hearted to be a cold criminal, and eventually starts venturing out and striking up a relationship with employee Leigh (Kirstin Dunst) and her two daughters. Knowing it all has to end eventually, Jeff becomes torn with having to flee the country or stay and try to live out his second chance at life. “Roofman” also stars Ben Mendelsohn (“Andor“), LaKeith Stanfield, Peter Dinklage (“Toxic Avenger“), and Juno Temple (“Ted Lasso“)
“Roofman” sees the softer side of Cianfrance, a stark departure from his more melancholy but effective work like “Blue Valentine” and “The Place Beyond the Pines.” It proves that he can do feel good even if the true story doesn’t have a happy ending (not a spoiler if it’s based on real events you can Google right now) and balance a lot more humor and charming disposition than his previous work would suggest. While this retelling is abridged and focuses much more on the love life during the escape more than anything else, it’s Tatum that really brings those themes of redemption and forgiveness to life. It is careful to ask its audience to have sympathy for its character without every excusing his actions. Sure, the grace extended may be a bit too far reaching but Tatum works overtime to make Jeff the most likable guy on the planet.
This film really is about a smart guy who makes a lot of really bad decisions. And no matter how often we try to escape the consequences, our pasts will always come for us.
It blurs the line between good and evil and what makes a man a criminal. While it’s mostly effective, “Roofman” is only intermittently so, with Clairfrance caught spinning his wheels sometimes and losing focus of the larger picture by zeroing in on the singular love story. It works until it doesn’t, and though you never quite feel the runtime it does run its course sooner than the film reaches its final moments. This is a film carried on the wings of leads, particularly the charm of Tatum and his chemistry with Dunst. While it doesn’t really seek to examine the depth that someone like Jeff can possess – namely why and what makes him who he is and does what he does – it kind of doesn’t matter as much since its leads are simply off the charts with affecting energy. If you dig deep enough you’ll find there isn’t much beyond the barebones of the heist/prison escape story and central love story, but it ensures that that deep dive isn’t necessary
It may stumble from time to time narratively, but ultimately “Roofman” is a heartfelt showcase for Tatum and a light watch whose safe play and sticking to convention ends up serving as a compliment to its charm. I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable this was, the sparks of emotion resonate and its safeness actually supports a strong sense of rewatchability.
I really hope that Channing Tatum continues this new direction with more roles like “Roofman,” because these are kinds of roles that not only display his full range of talents, but ones he was truly born to play.
Kind of miss Toys R Us, now.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
“Roofman” had its World Premiere at TIFF and will be released in theaters on October 10th. You can watch the trailer below.
