In Derek Cianfrance’s “Roofman,” an agreeable dramatization of a true story, a springy Channing Tatum plays a McDonald’s spree-robber who escapes from prison and takes shelter in a Toys ‘R’ Us. Pitching camp in a cupboard behind a bike rack, the fugitive becomes a kid in a candy shop. Napping through the store’s hours of operation, he emerges after closing to coast the deserted aisles, munch on peanut M&Ms and jokingly hump an inflatable T-Rex. It’s all gloating, fun and games until he develops an interest in Leigh (Kirsten Dunst, with a Southern drawl), a smiley Toys ‘R’ Us employee who volunteers at a local church. Their budding flirtation puts our protagonist at a crossroads. Should he pursue the romance, or wait out the manhunt in sequestered safety?
For a story based on a series of silly true crimes, the decision to center the movie on a rather pedestrian (and liberally fictionalized) relationship with a toy saleswoman seems odd. Why not devote the story to the thefts? This structural choice leaves “Roofman,” an overlong comedy, banking on Tatum’s ability to imbue Jeffrey Manchester — a smart dumb guy, as he’s called more than once — with a charisma rascally enough to hold our attention through crimes, misdemeanors and romantic comedy.
Thankfully, Tatum proves up to the task. The movie opens before Jeffrey goes to prison, in an overture introducing his frustration with the status quo. An Army veteran and chronic underperformer who shares custody of his kids with his ex, Jeffrey is eager to change his fortunes, and figures that an influx of wealth will win his family back. Turns out, he’s right: Two years, 45 McDonald’s thefts and a smug voice-over later, Jeffrey is reunited with his family in a comfortably sized abode. But the jubilation has barely set in when he’s tackled by police and given a decades-long sentence — a zippy chain of events that culminates in Jeffrey’s ingenious prison break by means of a delivery van’s undercarriage.
Amid an unfocused movie, the escape, which Cianfrance stages as a mini procedural, is a wonderfully engaging section that breezes by a bit too quickly. Its rush makes space for the tiresome second and third acts, in which the movie tracks Jeffrey’s slow burn with Leigh over a series of bits and gags. In one, he flirts with churchgoers by complimenting their footwear; later, he impresses Leigh’s daughters with a joyride. Ben Mendelsohn and Uzo Aduba, as the church pastor and his wife, and Peter Dinklage, playing a crotchety Toys ‘R’ Us manager, add a touch of zest to this mushy middle.
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The post ‘Roofman’ Review: Robbing McDonald’s, Stealing Hearts appeared first on New York Times.
