Roofman (dir. Derek Cianfrance)

By: Nick Zednik

Can good people do bad things? Better yet, can they get away with it and still be considered a good person? Paramount Pictures and writer-director, Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond The Pines) prove that truth is stranger than fiction with the help of plenty capable actors from Channing Tatum (Magic Mike), LaKeith Stanfield (Get Out), Kirsten Dunst (Spider-Man), Juno Temple (Ted Lasso), to Peter Dinklage (Cyrano). Roofman centers around Jeffrey Manchester, a highly intelligent U.S. Army veteran who decides to make ends meet for his family by robbing McDonald’s restaurants. His method of entering the premises via the roof earned him the moniker, “Roofman”, as well as a reputation of being a criminal who treats his victims with kindness. After being caught and sentenced to decades in prison, Manchester solidifies the depths of his cunning, planning a daring escape and eventually taking refuge behind the confines of a Toys “R” Us. As Jeffrey waits for an escape plan, he falls in love with Toys “R” Us employee and single mother, Leigh Wainscott, unaware of his true identity.  .

When the world presents Hollywood with a story this good, it feels inevitable that it becomes a movie. Of course, one can expect minor tweaks for entertainment and legal purposes, but writer-director Derek Cianfrance honors the story as truthfully as possible. Roofman is nowhere near as zany as the title, premise, or marketing showing Channing Tatum being a goofball suggests. There are plenty of laughs to be had, clever dialogue, amusing character moments, and hilarious moments of physical comedy such as embracing the nostalgic aisles of “Toys R Us”.

Roofman is only as good as the star himself and Channing Tatum (Magic Mike) delivers the finest work of his career. Labeled as one of the great modern comedic performers, it was refreshing to see Channing Tatum flex his dramatic muscles and sink into a character with depth. As the colloquial moniker goes,Tatum “understood the assignment” and proved he was the perfect casting for Jeffrey Manchester. Dunst is effortlessly charming as the church-going single mother and a great foil for Tatum. Both performances give the story a beating heart as well as a sweet romance. The rest of the supporting cast is excellent, providing humor where the story deems necessary. Outside of allowing viewers the tasteful pleasure of the reminiscent revisit to Toys “R” Us, the end credits of Roofman embraces archival footage detailing the real escapades of Jeffrey Manchester. The consistency amongst all the clips is that the victims all consider Jeffrey Manchester to be a thief with a heart of gold. Roofman serves as an honest examination on the morality of bad guys not being all “bad”. Movies “based on true stories” tend to stretch the truth in order to create drama and Roofman can feel formulaic, but it’s entertaining escapism that proves honesty is indeed the best policy.

Nick’s Pick: 8/10 Roofman goes through the roof and right into the audience's hearts as an emotional crowd-pleaser with depth and a strong chance at being a contender for the year’s top 10.