Channing Tatum is a Hollywood anomaly, and I mean that in the best way possible. A career that started out in Coach Carter and moved its way to moderate success with She’s The Man and Step-Up in 2006, Tatum could have gone the easy route - a very 2000s’esque McConaughey route with RomCom after RomCom, making some easy bank. But somewhere in his late 20s, the guy realized something. He could make a career out of the ole “one for you, one for me’ method in Hollywood, so for every Dear John came a 21 Jump Street; Magic Mike led to Foxcatcher, so on and so forth. Being pigeonholed was not in this man’s game and he has literally put any naysayer to rest over the years, becoming one of these leading men in Hollywood that everyone seems to like. And on that strength alone, Roofman works really really well because he is the right guy for this role.

 

Roofman revolves around Jeffrey Manchester, a US military veteran unable to make ends meet, who turns to robbing McDonald’s restaurants to provide for his family. He becomes a local legend and nicknamed “The Rooftop Robber” by local news authorities thanks in part to his tested formula of coming in through… well the roof of McDonalds. Time runs out for Jeff though, as he’s caught, tried, sentenced and eventually incarcerated. Tatum’s likeability exudes off the screen in these first 15 minutes, because even though you’re not meant to really like Jeff, you understand his motives for pulling off these crimes and he’s not an asshole to the people he is robbing. He is just trying to get bye like the rest of us.

 

Months pass by and Jeff’s innate ability to observe and plan eventually leads to his escape from prison. While on the run, he finds his way into a Toys “R” Us, where he crafts a makeshift hideout within the walls of the store. Months pass, the manhunt is all but forgotten, and Jeffrey finds himself falling for Leigh (Kirsten Dunst), one of the store’s employees. A connection is forged, though Leigh knows nothing of Jeffrey’s criminal status nor his current residence inside her workplace.

 

All of this turns Manchester into a fascinating kind of anti-hero in Roofman, directed by Derek Cianfrance. Not only does it showcase a great range for Tatum, but Cianfrance as well. Best known for the somber Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines (a personal favourite of mine this century), Cianfrance brings a surprisingly gentle hand to this heartfelt comedy-drama, with Tatum delivering an unexpectedly tender and relatable performance. Despite Manchester’s knack for trouble, you can’t help but root for him to find a way through and Cianfrance leans into that without the film feeling completely over the top or unbelievable. His strength in pacing also really helps the film move well, as its runtime of over two hours is actually ideal for the plot to flow and us to grow with Tatum’s Jeff and Dunst’s Leigh.