Channing Tatum becomes a charming criminal with time for a dating life in ‘Roofman’

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Starring Channing Tatum as a tender-souled criminal who falls for Kirsten Dunst’s divorced mom, “Roofman” is a good time planned by a party pooper. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — in fact, it keeps you on your toes. But it does mean that Derek Cianfrance’s version of a bad-boy romance will feature more tears and jolts than the genre typically calls for, and more goofy humor than you might expect from the director behind gut-scooping adult dramas as “Blue Valentine.”

The film is based on a real story from the late 1990s. Even when parts seem unbelievable, news footage and interviews shown at the end prove the story is true. Jeffrey Manchester (played by Tatum) was a former military dad struggling to get his life on track. Encouraged by a friend (played with wit by LaKeith Stanfield), he used his survival skills to support his children by breaking into McDonald’s restaurants – a total of 45 times – earning him the nickname the movie is based on.

Director Cianfrance, who co-wrote the script with Kirt Gunn, immediately establishes his realistic style with the film’s opening robbery. The fast-food workers react convincingly to the masked gunman with a rifle, being forced into the freezer. Channing Tatum is perfectly cast; his imposing size and deliberate actions are contrasted by a vulnerability in his eyes and voice, making you feel empathy for even the robber – and perhaps even feel like you’re losing something along with the money.

Jeffrey is caught at his child’s birthday party – funded by the stolen money, no less – and receives a sentence. However, we soon find that even the legal system can’t always damage someone’s public image. It’s also surprisingly endearing to see a fugitive cleverly using a Toys “R” Us as a hideout. Jeffrey secretly takes over a small area behind a large display, using baby monitors to watch the store and, when he’s alone, playfully acts like a child – a side of him that’s ultimately led him to this unusual situation.

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When Jeffrey sees his boss, Peter Dinklage, treating Leigh (Kirsten Dunst), a single mother asking for a little help with her work schedule and a donation of toys for her church, he can’t stay silent. He steps in, and a small act of kindness – secretly donating toys – sparks a connection. They start flirting, go on dates, and eventually fall in love, but Jeffrey’s initial deception is constantly threatened by the difficult situation it created.

Cianfrance handles the lighter moments of this working-class story with skill, allowing Tatum to be genuinely charming – whether he’s trying to connect with Leigh’s daughters (including a standout performance by Lily Collias as the older, more cynical one) or hilariously dodging capture while naked. Dunst and Tatum have fantastic chemistry; she’s a bright and relatable presence on screen. The film feels like an independent drama unexpectedly popping up within a mainstream romantic comedy.

Okay, so this movie… it tries to do a lot, and honestly, it feels a bit overstuffed. It wants to be feel-good, but also a serious crime story, and it doesn’t quite nail both. Sometimes it feels like it prioritizes being cute over really digging deep, and a couple of characters—even talented ones like Ben Mendelsohn and Uzo Aduba—feel a little unnecessary. There are moments that just don’t land. But you know, the director, Cianfrance, has always trusted his actors to bring out the truth, especially when it comes to people making mistakes and still having good hearts. And this film, ‘Roofman,’ definitely has that breezy, kind of forgiving vibe – it understands how to show compassion even for someone who’s, well, stealing things.

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2025-10-10 01:01