By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
CHANNING TATUM SOARS IN "ROOFMAN"
"Roofman" is another one of those "based on a true story" films that's almost too unbelievable to be real. It leaves you both puzzled and captivated by its sheer madness.
Directed by
Derek Cianfrance ("The Light Between Oceans") with a sharp script by
Kirt Gunn ("Sound of Metal"), the film recounts the wild true story of Army veteran-turned-criminal mastermind
Jeffrey Allen Manchester, played with surprising nuance by
Channing Tatum ("Blink Twice").
Jeffrey, a former student at Rancho Cordova High School in Northern California, joined the U.S. Army and served with the 82nd Airborne Division. There, he learned rappelling, weapons handling, and other tactical skills he would later twist to his advantage.
Armed with quiet confidence and military precision, he robbed 45 McDonald's locations across the country before being caught in North Carolina in 2000 and sentenced to 45 years in prison.
But confinement wasn't in Jeffrey's nature. Driven by obsession and aided by his fiercely loyal friend Steve (LaKeith Stanfield, TV's "Play Dirty") and Steve's cunning girlfriend Michelle (Juno Temple, "Venom: The Last Dance"), Jeffrey stages a daring escape and disappears into a new life. He takes refuge in one of the most bizarre hideouts imaginable: the rooftop of a suburban Toys "R" Us, where he sets up camp and begins a double life.
Thanks to his charisma and calculated charm, Jeffrey blends into the local community. He forms a connection with Toys "R" Us employee Leigh Wainscott (Kirsten Dunst, "Civil War"), a single mother raising two daughters, her skeptical teenager Lindsay (Lily Collias, "Good One") and the wide-eyed young Dee (Kennedy Moyer, TV's "Task").
At first wary, the girls are soon won over by Jeffrey's endless supply of toys, gadgets, and candy, courtesy of his after-hours raids on the store below.
Inside his toy-store fortress, Jeffrey begins to feel invincible. He disables security systems, installs his own hidden cameras, and spies on store operations, including the hapless and heartless manager Mitch, played with a snarky glee by Peter Dinklage ("Wicked: For Good"). The more control Jeffrey gains, the more reckless he becomes, turning the store into his personal playground.
The film escalates from strange to surreal as Jeffrey integrates into the town fabric. He even charms the congregation at a local church run by a well-meaning pastor (Ben Mendelsohn, TV's "Andor") and his wife Eileen (Uba Aduba, TV's "The Residence").
When asked about his mysterious profession, Jeffrey spins a tale about working a top-secret government job which instantly boosts his allure. The town practically canonizes him.
But the illusion begins to crack. Jeffrey's growing feelings for Leigh cause him to let his guard down, and it's not long before small mistakes start piling up. A slip of the tongue here, a nervous glance there and soon, suspicious eyes start watching. The emotional tug-of-war between his old life and his new one sets the stage for a tense unraveling.
Tatum disappears into the role and sells it. His chemistry with Dunst brings an aching tenderness to an otherwise absurd tale. At times, you almost want to root for Jeffrey until the consequences of his delusions start catching up with him.
In the film's final act, the dream begins to collapse. Leigh discovers Jeffrey's true identity in the most gut-wrenching way. Her world shatters as she pieces together the lies, while Jeffrey scrambles to stay one step ahead of the law. His rooftop sanctuary, once a whimsical hideout, becomes a claustrophobic prison.
The climax unfolds in a tense cat-and-mouse standoff inside the toy store, echoing a twisted version of a childhood fantasy gone horribly wrong. Surrounded by action figures and blinking toy lights, Jeffrey makes one last desperate attempt to escape, not just the police, but the life he can no longer fake.
In a moment of rare vulnerability, he hesitates, torn between fleeing and surrendering to the person he's fallen for. That pause seals his fate. It's a dark farewell to the make-believe world Jeffrey tried so hard to live in.
The movie's end credits cheekily note that the Roofman is eligible for release in December 2036. If he busts out before then... well, don't rule out a sequel.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the
Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station
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Look At This Trailer For
"ROOFMAN"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards).
