We should get this out of the way up front. Roofman is not a full-on comedy, and far from it actually. Even with Channing Tatum in a highly charismatic role, this story about Jeffrey Manchester is more true crime than a rousing or rambunctious tale of an underdog. Now there are plenty of heartfelt elements that make this shine, and much of that comes from the source material.
While casting Tatum as the lead would make you think this is a sister sequel to Logan Lucky (which was an actual comedy crime caper), Manchester is not after one grand and hefty haul. He needs to disappear but he won’t be sitting next to a pile of cash on a beach somewhere tropical. Still, Manchester’s story really makes for a grand cinematic experience.
To know more about this wonderful tale of woah, as in, “Woah, that’s amazing! I can’t believe that pretty much actually happened,” Derek Cianfrance aims his 35mm lens at this story and throws heaps of legitimacy and realism at us (read: shooting this in North Carolina, fabricating/resurrecting a real Toys “R” Us store, even casting actual people in Manchester’s life during these events). The result lets us live with and feel for a resourceful and endearing character who is completely out of options.
A director who isn’t afraid to get intimate, Ciafrance’s style of filmmaking works well here to let us in on Manchester’s dual life. Yet, thankfully, it’s not nearly as gloomy or dour as you might expect. So if there’s one person who can tell us about the journey this project took from the newspapers to the big screen, it’s him. Enjoy this insightful conversation with Derek, and do check out Roofman. It’s a wild ride that has a lot of fun and a lot of heart. Also, the release date of October 10 is fitting because this is definitely a ten out of ten!!
After escaping from prison, former soldier and professional thief Jeffrey Manchester finds a hideout inside a Toys “R” Us, surviving undetected for months while planning his next move. However, when Jeffrey falls for a divorced mom, his double life starts to unravel, setting off a compelling and suspenseful game of cat and mouse as his past closes in.
