On paper, a movie about a man hiding out in a Toys “R” Us should be a home run. Channing Tatum brings it to life in Roofman, a movie adaptation of the wild story of Jeffrey Manchester.
It seems every couple of years, movie theaters get a refreshing change of pace with a star-studded film about current events (things so bonkers you have to see to believe). We've had War Dogs and, more recently, Dumb Money, to fill the void. One could argue that The Wolf of Wall Street fits under this umbrella.
Now, Roofman is here to be the latest potential box office hit that isn't tied to an IP (with the exception of Toys “R” Us, to some extent).
Is it entertaining? Absolutely. The premise is taken to extremes, but that works in the movie's favor. Tatum, who has never been revered as a world-class actor, delivers a surprisingly heartfelt performance. He is, of course, balanced out by former Spider-Man star Kirsten Dunst, who feels way overqualified for his role.
Still, they're both here, and they make the most of a fairly safe script, which was co-written by Derek Cianfrance, who directed Roofman. His work on projects in the past, like Sound of Metal, should not go unnoticed, but his latest project is very rudimentary from a filmmaking standpoint. In turn, it's the performances that do the heavy lifting.
The script itself comes with a whole different set of problems. The real Jeffrey Manchester, who is currently serving his prison sentence, robbed stores. Roofman struggles to toe the line between condemning and glorifying his actions. That, in and of itself, is the biggest crime the movie commits.
Roofman review: Is the story true?
As Roofman makes clear from the start — claiming it to be a “true story” — it is based on the real crimes of Jeffrey Manchester. Roofman begins with Jeffrey (Channing Tatum) holding up a McDonald's.
He shows some compassion towards the employees — mainly by giving one played by the highly underrated Tony Revolori a coat before putting them in the freezer — which is a common theme throughout the movie.
Yes, he has empathy for some of his victims, but does that make him a good person? As Officer Scheimreif (Molly Price) is quick to point out, he's still a criminal. Even the real-life officer whom Scheimreif is based on is quick to point out she sees through his “bulls**t.”
It's one thing if Roofman only focused a little bit on this character trait of Jeffrey's. However, his empathy — true or not — becomes the emotional crux of the movie.
Making Jeffrey Manchester a sympathetic figure
Early on, Roofman is eager to show Jeffrey's impotence. He himself claims not to be book smart enough for a traditional 9-5. One particularly sad birthday party for his young daughter — who wishes for a bike — is the dawning of his crime spree.
All he wants to do is give his daughter (and two young sons) the things other kids ask for. Isn't that sweet? It is when you plug someone like Tatum into the role, which, again, complicates things. Jeffery is first arrested in front of his daughter, which is obviously painful to watch. His family later cuts him off while he's in prison.
Should the viewer really be rooting for someone like Jeffrey? In the credits, they show footage of news broadcasts featuring the real versions of characters shown in the project. One of the people he robbed revealed that Jeffrey acknowledged that he was the “bad guy” in the scenario.
It's all very strange. Jeffrey's stakeout in a Toys “R” Us was the hook, but there is so much more beneath the surface. It'd be hard to imagine a movie only about his stakeout in Toys “R” Us being longer than 80 minutes, which may explain the heavy reliance on Jeffrey's relationship with Leigh (Kirsten Dunst).
Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst's love story
Once again trying to do the right thing, Jeffrey takes [stolen] toys to Leigh's church for their toy drive. Of course, the church members are oblivious to the origin of these toys, but that does not matter.
That leads him to Leigh, who is the organizer of the toy drive. They instantly hit it off — like, very quickly into their first date — and he begins finding his new family.
Leigh is a recently divorced mother of two. Her eldest, Lindsay (Lily Collias), is “emotionally unavailable,” per the sign on her door. Her youngest, Dee (Kennedy Moyer), doesn't take as long to warm up to Jeffrey, who is posing as John Zorn at this point.
This storyline is what gives Roofman stakes. Jeffrey has to live two lives, and that makes for a thrilling ride. Again, Roofman's main concern is not the performances or its watchability. It's the questionable romanticization of Jeffrey and his actions.
Tatum will get most of the praise as the lead actor. It's a remarkably fun and charming performance, probably the most dramatic one he has given since The Vow and his best since the 21 Jump Street series.
There have been times Tatum has over-relied on his physical traits in roles. The Magic Mike series, particularly the final entry, did deal with some real problems, and that was when Tatum showed flashes of nuance behind his eyes.
Roofman takes the best of both worlds. He's able to have his cake and eat it too, as he shows some dramatic acting chops in addition to flaunting his body (maybe too much at times).
Dunst should do more movies
Given how rare Dunst's performances are and how selective she is, it's somewhat amusing that Roofman was enough to get her on set.
She gives the best performance in Roofman, which should come as no surprise. Dunst is an amazing talent who has earned the right to be as selective as she is. Roofman further proves she should be in more, if more appetizing roles were up for grabs.
Her role as a holy roller like Leigh is very well done. Dunst has the right hints of naivety and vulnerability that Leigh likely had in real life when dating Jeffrey.
They also cast Ben Mendelsohn, who's a standout in anything he's in, as the church's lead pastor. There was a lot of potential for an even deeper message if they wanted to explore some of the hypocrisy that goes along with some churches, but Roofman opts to do the bare minimum with scenes set in the church.
Some of the other supporting actors don't get a lot to do. Peter Dinklage is good in his scenes, but he's not featured nearly enough to really justify his casting aside from name value. Dinklage plays the manager of the Toys “R” Us, Mitch, who only smiles when profits are trending up.
It's a role that Dinklage navigates well. Again, he is just underutilized. LaKeith Stanfield gets a little more screen time as Jeffrey's friend, Steve.
Should you watch Roofman?
The morality of Roofman is a hard hurdle to get over when thinking about it. Yes, it's an entertaining watch, if not a little long in the tooth.
Making Jeffrey Manchester an empathetic figure is a bold choice. Sure, movies about antagonists have been made — Joker made over $1 billion — but they're not always meant to be rooted for.
That's where the Wolf of Wall Street conundrum occurs. Jordan Belfort, while a brilliant businessman, is not necessarily the person to model yourself after in every aspect of your life. There are those who watch the first 45 minutes or so of The Wolf of Wall Street, which is pure bliss, and misread the movie's intention.
It's unlikely Martin Scorsese was trying to make Belfort out to be a hero, just as it's unlikely Cianfrance is defending Manchester's actions. However, there is more sympathy created for him than Belfort or other similar characters ever got, and that makes the intentions of Roofman unclear.
For entertainment purposes, it's worth watching. If you're searching for a thought piece, it will rob you of your time as you ponder the morality of Roofman.
Grade: C+
Roofman will be released on October 10.
