People love an underdog. They love an antihero even more. And boy howdy do they love a “based on a true story” story. Mix all of those elements together and give it to a charismatic leading man, and you’ve got a film any studio would jump at the chance to greenlight. That’s the tale behind “Roofman,” the latest film from director Derek Cianfrance (“Blue Valentine,” “The Place Beyond the Pines”), which represents a bit of a tonal shift from his previous works, as well as a welcome return to the spotlight for Channing Tatum (“Magic Mike,” “21 Jump Street (2012)”).
The film tells the true story of Jeffrey Manchester, played by Tatum, a former military man turned robber known as the “Roofman,” named after his technique of breaking into fast food locations via their roofs. After escaping from prison after being arrested for robbing 45 different McDonald’s, Manchester hides in a local Toys R Us store run by the antagonistic Mitch, played by Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones,” “The Station Agent”). He slowly begins to involve himself in the local community, even starting a relationship with one of the Toys R Us employees Leigh Wainscott, played by Kristen Dunst (“The Power of the Dog,” “Spider-Man (2002)”), attending church with her and befriending her daughters, all while attempting to evade police attention.
If Cianfrance at any point during production felt uncomfortable with the lighter tone hee, you’d never know it from the final film. His directorial style here fits the material quite well, focusing on Manchester’s character and what kind of a man he is, rather than the “so crazy it must be true” aspects. It’s not the most technically complex film in the world, but its basic components instead allow ample room for Cianfrance’s actors to dig into the character work. It’s the sort of clear-eyed, adult drama we don’t see much of anymore.
Cianfrance and Kirt Gunn’s (“Lovely by Surprise”) script help exemplify the internal conflict stirring within Manchester, taken to its full potential by Tatum’s performance, while letting his character actors have fun room to play with their more minor roles. It’s the sort of film where you walk away remembering something about each character, even if they’re on screen for just a few moments. This especially makes the later melancholic moments hit much harder as well, but more on that in a moment. The musical score by Christopher Bear (“High Maintenance,” “Past Lives”) is exceptionally calm and melodic, playing up the somber notes throughout the film and hitting just a bit harder as things come to a close.
Tatum’s performance here seems simple, but it’s an incredible hat trick of a role. He weaponizes his everyman charms and ease of charisma to develop Manchester into more than a stereotypical “handsome thief” kind of persona. It's legitimately some of his most impressive work in recent memory, and a great showcase of his talents. Dunst’s performance is arguably even better, with a grounded emotional role that plays excellently off of Tatum. The pair have instant chemistry and are borderline charm factories whenever they’re opposite each other. Leigh’s daughters Lindsay and Dee, played by Lily Collias (“Good One”) and Kennedy Moyer (“Task”) respectively are scene stealers when they do appear, and just like Dunst, they play off Tatum’s warm sensibilities to great effect. Dinklage is clearly having fun playing the “bad guy” boss, but his role doesn’t have any real emotional material to play with.
Given the “true story” nature of the film as well as Manchester’s escapades, you can see where this story is going almost as soon as it gets underway. It’s not a bad thing; it’s just the nature of a tale like this and the way it’s being told. Instead, Cianfrance and Gunn use this to slowly twist the knife with the characters. Tatum and Dunst make you easily fall for Manchester and Leigh, leaving you sitting, gripping the armrests of the seat, practically screaming at the screen for characters to turn around, walk the other way, or stop what they’re doing. It's the kind of emotional investment and reactions normally reserved for horror films. It’s such an easy tale to get into though, that the intensely melancholic last thirty minutes are drenched in dread and exhaustion in the most cathartic way.
“Roofman” is a simple film with a simple premise and simple techniques that’s catapulted into excellence thanks to its immensely great performances and cast. Tatum and Dunst are turning in some work that’s at the top of their recent work at least. Backed up by a great musical score, it's a surprisingly somber treat for those looking for an emotionally rich melancholic adult drama. 4/5
No comments:
Post a Comment