Movie Review: ‘Roofman’

NEW YORK (OSV News) – With its adroit blend of drama and comedy, the fact-based film “Roofman” (Paramount) effectively evokes a wide range of emotions. While the movie’s underlying values are mostly in order, however, a combination of restrictive elements — including some wayward behavior it briefly showcases — point to a strictly mature viewership.

Channing Tatum stars as kindly but morally weak-willed former Army Ranger Jeffrey Manchester. Dissatisfied with the limitations of his hardscrabble lifestyle — typified by his inability to purchase an appropriate gift for his young daughter’s birthday — Jeffrey decides to use his unusual observational skills to acquire some ill-gotten gains.

This leads to a series of robberies at fast-food restaurants involving the mode of breaking and entering that earns Jeffrey the media nickname of the title. But the resulting affluence proves fleeting since the police eventually catch up with Jeffrey and he’s given a long prison sentence.

By bringing to bear the same gifts behind bars that he did while free, Jeffrey succeeds in pulling off an ingenious escape. He gets as far as nearby Charlotte, N.C., where he holes up in a Toys R Us, awaiting the return from abroad of his best friend and fellow veteran Steve (LaKeith Stanfield) who has promised to help Jeffrey flee the country.

Having mastered the store’s security system and created a small, behind-the-scenes shelter for himself, Jeffrey survives for weeks on candy and baby food. Feeling more secure as time passes and the public’s attention wanders away from the tale of his breakout, Jeffrey begins to venture into the outside world.

There he initiates a romance with one of the toy mart’s employees, Leigh Wainscott (Kirsten Dunst), whose interactions with her mean-spirited, bullying boss, Mitch (Peter Dinklage), Jeffrey has witnessed from his hideout. As a cover story, Jeffrey identifies himself as transplanted New Yorker John Zorn. John’s profession? Well, that’s classified.

Under Leigh’s influence, and that of the welcoming church community to which she belongs, Jeffrey’s positive qualities come to the fore, especially in his relationship with Leigh’s two daughters, Lindsay (Lily Collias) and Dee (Kennedy Moyer). Yet it’s only a matter of time before he’ll face some wrenching choices.

As scripted by director Derek Cianfrance and Kirt Gunn, “Roofman” sometimes draws humor out of its protagonist’s offenses. Ultimately, though, their screenplay shows the cost of living on the wrong side of the law, partly through moments of skillfully conveyed sadness.

While Jeffrey and Leigh’s bond is emotionally substantial, it turns physical very quickly. Together with a needlessly prolonged scene of nakedness — meant to amuse the audience — as well as some vocabulary issues, this premature encounter makes “Roofman” too steep a climb for kids.

The film contains brief semigraphic nonmarital sexual activity, rear and partial frontal male nudity played for laughs, a scene of urination, a vulgar sight gag, about a half-dozen uses of profanity, several milder oaths and considerable rough and crude language. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

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