Directed by: Derek Cianfrance
Written by: Derek Cianfrance and Kirt Gunn
Starring: Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Peter Dinklage, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield

True crime stories typically illustrate the inhumanity of human beings, whether through violence, greed, or cruelty. And as voyeuristic creatures, we eat this up, gore and all, in a way that could only be described as perverse – masochistically speaking through media, books, podcasts, documentaries, and dramas. True crime (especially those about serial killers, corporate thieves, and crimes of passion) inhabits a profitable niche in the market. Evil sells.

But occasionally, we get a story that dwells on the other side of that spectrum, where good intentions sometimes lead to unintended consequences. That story is Roofman, or as I like to call it: The Increasingly Bad Decisions of Jeffrey Manchester.

A veteran, Jeffrey Manchester (Tatum), struggles to adjust to domestic life in North Carolina. Failing as a father and husband to his wife and 3 kids, Jeffrey decides to use his military talents to rob a McDonald’s by breaking in through the roof of the establishment. As an armed thief, he confronts his victims in a kind and non-violent way, earning the reputation as a ‘nice’ guy. After briefly serving time, he escapes from prison to see his family but decides to lay low for several months in a Toys “R” Us, similarly breaking in through the roof and hiding within one of the hollowed walled spaces.

Using the store’s baby monitors, he observes the store employees, taking particular interest in Leigh (Dunst), a divorced mother of two. Making his way outside the store, he meets Leigh in person at a church function, and both hit it off and start a relationship. Jeffrey and Leigh get very close to the point where his lies are getting increasingly difficult to maintain. Meanwhile, the authorities continue to look for him. Inevitably, Jeffrey must decide his next move.

Roofman works for several reasons. Derek Cianfrance keeps things to the point, without any excess exposition. Andrij Parekh’s cinematography doesn’t try to do too much, and the 90s film grain is appropriate. The tone is consistent throughout with equal parts seriousness and comedy, all the while maintaining the realism of the story.

Credit goes to Tatum for playing Jeffrey within his strengths. His low-key performance makes it easy to understand why the public was so sympathetic to this serial burglar. The same goes for the excellent Dunst as Leigh. Their pairing as a tragic romantic pair is believable, adorable, and heartbreaking at the same time – superb. Peter Dinklage is also great as the grumpy Toys “R” Us manager we all love to hate.

Some of my favorite characters in film are criminals: Hi McDonnough (Raising Arizona), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, as well as Bonnie and Clyde. They all had one thing in common: likability. And Jeffrey Manchester, along with Tatum’s portrayal, fits in nicely within those ranks.

With Roofman, Cianfrance crafted a low-key, believable story that was so ridiculous it was incredible. More importantly, Roofman is relatable, largely due to the solid performances of Tatum and Dunst. Highly recommended.

Have you seen ROOFMAN? Well, what do you think?

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