Roofman

I feel like it can be tough to be a working actor, especially when you’re good at doing one particular thing. Maybe that thing is playing a bad guy, providing comic relief, or maybe you just have a knack for playing a gangster. Whatever it may be, plenty of actors end up in similar roles because that’s all the industry offers them. One actor who I think falls into that category is Channing Tatum, who always seems to be cast as the good-looking comic relief. Like with anything, all it takes is for someone to take a chance — and in Tatum’s case, that chance pays off big time.

Life for Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum) isn’t going as planned. After serving in the military, his civilian life has been difficult, and he’s struggling to provide for his family. Things change after a conversation with Steve (LaKeith Stanfield), who tells Jeffrey he needs to use his “superpower” to make things work. That superpower is his keen sense of observation, and soon he’s using it to stake out places he plans to rob. Everything goes surprisingly well — and while Jeffrey is technically a thief, he never hurts anyone. But his lucky streak comes to an end when he’s caught and sentenced to forty-five years in prison.

Jeffrey, however, is as observant as ever, and soon figures out a way to escape. That’s where things get interesting. In need of a hiding place, he chooses a Toys “R” Us store, where he secretly makes a home for himself. While living there, he meets Leigh (Kirsten Dunst), and the two start to date — even though he’s still a fugitive.

Written by Kirt Gunn and Derek Cianfrance, with Cianfrance also directing, Roofman is one of those films that’s so absurd it has to be true. The story is undeniably wild, but Gunn and Cianfrance treat their characters seriously. Tatum is as charming as ever, but there’s also a quiet sadness behind his eyes that gives the performance real depth. The story moves at a brisk pace, maybe even a little too brisk at times — jumping quickly from Jeffrey’s frustration over not providing for his daughter to his life of crime — but it eventually finds a satisfying rhythm. What follows is a great mix of humor and heartbreak, delivered in just the right doses.

Roofman is part romantic drama and part caper movie — a combination that works surprisingly well. This story could easily have been treated as a joke, but instead it’s told with empathy. You grow emotionally attached to Tatum’s character, rooting for him to turn things around, only to feel disappointed by his choices. As for Tatum, he may have never been better. He plays Manchester with humility and nuance, perfectly capturing both the tragedy and absurdity of his situation. Dunst, meanwhile, is excellent as a wounded woman trying to find her footing, and her chemistry with Tatum is effortless.

The filmmakers deliver plenty of smiles while also landing a few emotional punches. It maintains a great balance between laughs and the lows, telling a captivating story that’s almost too crazy to believe — and doing so in a way that’s deeply entertaining. It’s a reminder that the weed of crime bears bitter fruit, but you can still blend it up to something that goes down easy.