The saddest romantic comedy ever, or perhaps essentially the most lighthearted tragedy in years, Derek Cianfrance’s “Roofman” is a movie that completely embodies the outline of its lead character delivered by a correctional officer midway by way of the film.
“He’s a really sensible particular person, in all probability genius degree,” says the jail guard. “He’s additionally a whole fool.”
There you might have Jeffrey Manchester, a real-life Military veteran who robbed 40-some McDonald’s eating places by reducing holes within the roof, was despatched to jail for 45 years, escaped, lived undetected in a Toys “R” Us for six months and risked all of it by romancing a churchgoing single mom.
His obvious contradictions kind the bedrock of Cianfrance’s movie, which embraces the duality by taking part in up the attraction and likeability of a rom-com couple whose meet-cute includes a jail break and a bag of stolen toys. Cianfrance’s previous few films — the harrowing relationship story “Blue Valentine,” the multi-generational epic “The Place Past the Pines” and the weighty “The Gentle Between Oceans” — have been predominantly darkish. “Roofman” feels lighter, friendlier and funnier.
However because the Paramount Footage movie goes on, its pleasures play out underneath the shadow of an all-but-inevitable doom; it is a movie that feels pleasant, however provided that you may ignore what’s coming for these characters.
Nonetheless, there’s an excellent purpose Channing Tatum was chosen to play Manchester. The movie retains telling us that Jeffrey is an efficient man although he robs McDonald’s in an try to offer for the three kids he and his estranged spouse have. It’s simpler to shrug off that string of felonies if the felon is performed by the effortlessly charming Tatum, who by some means will get us to consider he’s just a bit misguided.
“That is the a part of the story the place I hope you’re questioning how a pleasant man like me acquired concerned on this,” he says in a voiceover within the opening moments of the movie, and it’s to his credit score that we swallow the “good man like me” line. (I imply, hey, he gave the McDonald’s supervisor his hoodie earlier than locking the man within the walk-in fridge!)
Jeffrey, we’re instructed by his previous Military buddy Steve (Lakeith Stanfield), has the exceptional skill to note issues that different folks don’t, which makes him an asset in conflict zones and likewise in small cities with eating places ripe for robbing. And when he’s despatched to jail for a kind of robberies that goes unhealthy, his ability set additionally signifies that he can work out the way to get out.
The issue is that entire genius/fool factor. Jeffrey needs to remain within the Charlotte space as a result of that’s the place his children are, although he is aware of to contact them would end in fast arrest. He stumbles on a Toys “R” Us retailer and hides there, first in a crawlspace and later in a extra luxurious hideaway he fashions behind a wall of bicycles.
All of this performs out with a light-weight contact, and with music by Christopher Bear that manages to be playful and somewhat sentimental even within the jail scenes. Between the tone of the movie and the easygoing attraction of Tatum, “Roofman” offers us little selection however to root for Jeffrey, even when he places on curler skates and does some questionable Tom Cruise/”Dangerous Enterprise” strikes within the toy retailer aisles or assaults the Tickle Me Elmo show in a match of frustration.
And whereas he doesn’t actually imply to start out romancing Leigh Wainscott (Kirsten Dunst) when he brings a bag of pilfered items to the toy drive she runs at an area church, he does it so naturally and she or he responds so eagerly that we type of must root for them, too. It helps that Dunst is grounded as all the time, and underneath regular circumstances they’d be a perfect rom-com couple.
However these should not regular circumstances. Cianfrance’s film could play like a rom-com, however the rom and the com are happening underneath a large shadow; irrespective of how a lot you wish to see these loopy children succeed, you may’t ignore that settling all the way down to cozy domesticity within the metropolis the place regulation enforcement is aware of what he seems to be like and is trying to find him is solely not going to occur.
So it is a rom-com with a giant however. There’s a hysterical scene the place Jeffrey is bathing himself within the toy retailer restroom when the shop supervisor (Peter Dinklage) exhibits up unexpectedly and confronts the stark-naked intruder … however that simply means he’s in all probability going to be caught sooner. There’s a enjoyable scene the place Jeffrey and Leigh store for a used automobile and his wild driving helps mend tensions with Leigh’s teenage daughter … however a photograph of the pleased household with their new automobile can solely be yet another alternative for somebody to identify Jeffrey.
“Roofman” has it each methods; it’s humorous and foreboding, candy and troubling, gentle on its toes however with an inescapable undertone of uneasiness, even dread. Jeffrey works arduous to maintain means too many balls within the air — relationships, hiding locations, escape plans put collectively by Steve and his girlfriend Michelle (Juno Temple) — whereas Leigh places on a courageous face that may’t disguise her rising doubts (one thing Dunst is exceptionally good at conveying with out calling consideration to what she’s doing).
The tonal juggling act isn’t all the time seamless, however in a means, the contradictions are what give “Roofman” its life. It’s a tragic film, actually, nevertheless it’s additionally a whole lot of enjoyable. And if that doesn’t make sense, perhaps it’s the entire level.
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