Roofman, starring Channing Tatum as the real-life criminal Jeffrey Manchester, is not what you’d think it would be from the poster shown for advertising. That poster shows the character wearing a ridiculous get-up of toys and items from a TOYS ‘ R ‘ US store. You’d think it’s going to be a zany comedy, but it most definitely is not. It’s based on a real-life crime spree that Manchester went on when he robbed 45 McDonald’s restaurants by cutting a hole in their roofs and holding the manager and employees at gunpoint in the early morning hours just before opening. Sounds crazy, right? Well, that’s just the beginning.
The robberies are terrifying for the employees and manager, even though Manchester is very reassuring and polite as he locks them in the freezer. He even gives his coat to one who doesn’t have one and tells them he’ll call 911 after he leaves, so they’ll be promptly found. The scene provoked uncomfortable laughter from the preview audience, but it’s not funny enough to overcome the fact that a scary crime is going on. So much for a zany comedy-type film.
Manchester’s idea for raising money comes from a desperate attempt to win back his wife and 3 children when his wife divorces him for not being able to support the family. She cuts ties with him permanently when he can’t even keep up with child support. To make matters worse, his old Army buddy Steve, hilariously played by Lakeith Stanfield, tells him he should be doing better because of the skills he learned in the Army. Steve and his girlfriend Michelle (Juno Temple) just happen to run a little gig manufacturing false papers and credentials for people who want new identities.
Manchester, while running from the cops, takes refuge in a TOYS ‘ R ‘ US store where he finds a hiding place where he can lay low while he tries to figure things out, unlikely of course. He steals a crib mattress and pillows, clothing and shoes, electronic monitors, and baby food and peanut M&M’s to live on. He bathes using the men’s restroom sink and lives a lonely, boring life. He disables the store’s security system so he can enter and exit at night, commit his robberies, and then return just before the store opens in the morning. What could go wrong, right?
Through his spying using his monitors, he’s taken quite an interest in an employee named Leigh, skillfully portrayed by Kirsten Dunst. She’s a divorced mom of two daughters and is an active volunteer at her church. When he learns she’s the chairperson for the church Christmas toy drive, he decides to change going out during the day. He donates an impressive number of toys, backpacks, clothing, and other stuff (all stolen from the store), and becomes the darling of the church ladies. He invents a fake identity as John Zorne, an undercover government operative, so he won’t have to give many details about himself. In the following months, he becomes very involved with Leigh and her girls. They both fall in love, and he knows he must leave town or he’ll be caught.
What happens next sets up the rest of the narrative, and I’ll leave that for you to discover. The unfolding of the plot involves everyone the audience has met so far and is quite elaborate.
The film is set in the 90s and you’ll immediately notice the cinematography is an echo of that time. Cinematographer Andrij Parekh used 35 mm film to create that effect. It was filmed in Charlotte, NC, and a few other NC locations. It’s a character-driven film, and some characters were more effective than others. Unfortunately, Channing Tatum doesn’t have much range as an actor. The director obviously wanted the audience to feel empathy for him and see him as some sort of antihero, but he just doesn’t show the emotional depth. It’s hard to see him as anything but a dishonest screw-up. It’s up to supporting actors to provide the exposition needed – stated or inferred.
Kirsten Dunst stands out as the tough, independent, but emotionally vulnerable Leigh. She literally inhabits the part. She’s allowed no glamour for the part and produces a believable Southern accent. She’s easy to feel empathy for as she struggles with raising her daughters, one of them an uncooperative, angry teenager. She has no way of knowing that the man she’s fallen for really has nothing to offer.
Other stand-outs are the wonderful Peter Dinklage as the passive-aggressive manager, Mitch, who enjoys exercising his power over his employees. He gets a bit of physical comedy toward the end and definitely makes the most of it. Likewise, when Lakeith Stanfield is on camera, you can’t take your eyes off him, and Juno Temple makes the most of her limited screen time as his slutty girlfriend. As for Manchester, one of the law enforcement officers sums him up in one sentence: “He’s smart, really smart. Probably even a genius. But he’s an idiot.”
As the credits roll, news clips and interviews with the actual people who experienced all of this run alongside. That’s one of the best parts of Roofman.
GRADE: B
