Introduction
No one could ever accuse director Derek Cianfrance of being un-serious. With a filmography that includes Blue Valentine (2010), The Place Beyond the Pines (2012), and the mini-series I Know This Much Is True (2020), you come in with expectations for his films. While Roofman is a clear departure from that formula, the director still can’t help but inject the sadness of reality into the narrative.
Synopsis
Based on a true story, Channing Tatum stars as Jeffrey Manchester, a former Army reservist who is struggling financially. To support his wife and children, Jeff begins robbing McDonald’s through the roofs and holding the employees hostage. Jeff is eventually caught and imprisoned.
One day, he devises a brilliant plan to escape silently, eventually hiding out in the upper ceiling of a Toys “R” Us. He attempts to contact his friend Steve (LaKeith Stanfield) to help him escape the country, but has to wait six months until he returns from work outside the US.
Jeff eventually needs to get out in the world and meets store employee Leigh (Kirsten Dunst). Jeff poses as a government agent, but ingrains himself in the local community. Growing closer with Leigh, Jeff begins a serious relationship while lightly stealing from the store, much to the chagrin of dutiful manager Mitch (Peter Dinklage). With the date to contact Steve approaching, Jeff must decide whether to stick around in this new life or get out of town while he still can.
Themes/Tone
Jeff is such a likable presence, the audience immediately excuses any of his criminal behavior. Yes, he uses a gun, and yes, he technically robs businesses, but he is polite about it and doesn’t want to actually hurt anyone. While he has the desperation and scheme for criminality, he lacks the coldness.
At one point, Steve even comes out and says as much. When a news report tells of Jeff’s escape, he laughs along until they mention he could be dangerous. He isn’t mad, he’s offended. How could anyone think he could be harmful? It’s a nice little film trick to gain audience sympathy.
While this might be the most mainstream (and happy) Cianfrance has ever been as a director, he still can’t help injecting a throughline of sad reality. As Jeff begins to make a real life for himself, your mind starts to wander on the reality of this true story. An escaped convict isn’t going to live happily ever after and live off his spoils. There has to be some sort of ending, and luckily, the film is acutely aware of this.
In particular, it hits Jeff as he is singing along at church, leading to a well of tears. It’s not only a clear pivot point for the film, it’s a staggering piece of acting from Tatum and Dunst, despite the lack of dialogue.
This film understands the consequences of its actions. There is no victimless crime. In order to lead this life outside the law, there has to be a sacrifice, and there have to be people who have been wronged. Jeff might want to do the nicest possible thing, but it’s still an immensely traumatic and dangerous experience for everyone else.
The audience might not want bad things to happen to Jeff. However, we certainly don’t want to have bad things happen to other people just so that Jeff can get away with it. It’s a contradiction that Roofman conveys well.
Cast
Tatum is particularly suited for this role. Jeff requires equal parts silly, charming, intelligent, and dopey. For a guy who has made a long career of being a young guy, this is one of the few times he plays an adult. He is not some teenager. He is well into adulthood, but can’t figure out how to stay on the straight and narrow. I wouldn’t consider it a particularly difficult performance to pull off, but it’s an achievement in casting.
Dunst doesn’t try to be anyone other than the normal woman she is. She doesn’t try to elevate herself above her station, but rather lives in contentment. As always, she is so naturalistic, it’s easy to dismiss her ability as too calm or understated.
Dinklage continues to subvert his on-screen persona in varying ways. He not only comes across as arrogant for no particular reason, but he also takes his job far too seriously. Dinklage is the closest thing to the film’s villain, but he gets a bit of redemption. Uzo Aduba and Ben Mendelsohn play a delightful bit of comic relief as husband and wife church leaders, while Juno Temple shows up for no apparent reason as Steve’s girlfriend. It’s a very well-cast film.
Conclusion
It might not be as serious as Cianfrance’s previous efforts, but Roofman provides a welcome change of pace from the director. For a film about a guy who hides out in a Toys “R” Us, it’s much better than it has any right to be.
