Roofman
I found it entertaining because the real story is so unbelievable that it already carries the film by itself. Jeffrey Manchester is a very strange character: resourceful, likeable at times, very good at improvising and unable to measure consequences. He robs by entering through roofs, hides where nobody would expect, seems able to survive any situation and then makes such clumsy personal decisions that you end up desperate with him.
The film is part crime comedy, part odd romantic drama and part portrait of a loser who believes he controls his life more than he really does. I did not see it as a great film, but I did see it as a pleasant, curious and easy story to follow. It has that "this cannot have happened" quality that hooks you, and Tatum works very well because he makes credible a man with charisma, innocence and enormous irresponsibility.
I like that the character is not presented only as a charming thief. The film tries to make him likeable, yes, but it also lets you see that he is not right. The dentist scene sums up his way of acting very well: he looks for a quick way out, believes he controls the situation and ends up causing a much bigger disaster. He is not evil in the darkest sense, but he is reckless, selfish and dangerous because of that childish way of thinking everything can be fixed on the go.
Tatum carries almost the whole film and is very good. He has a natural sympathy that helps you understand why people lower their guard with Jeffrey. At the same time, beneath that smile there is something sad and displaced. It does not become a very harsh portrait of a criminal, because the film softens his edges quite a bit, but it does give the character a recognizable human oddness.
Kirsten Dunst brings a lot. Her Leigh is not just "the woman who appears so the thief can have a normal life", but someone with tiredness, intelligence and wounds of her own. I especially liked when it becomes clear that she has put the pieces together and is setting a trap for him. There the relationship changes: it is no longer just him hiding his secret, but her understanding more than she says.
The chemistry between the two is one of the best things. Not because you simply want everything to go well for them, but because there is something uncomfortable in that relationship. He needs to be loved, needs to invent an acceptable version of himself, and she wants to believe in the possibility of calm, even as she begins to notice that something does not fit. That sentimental side sometimes stretches, but it prevents the film from being only a string of crime anecdotes.
The problem is that Cianfrance does not seem to want to get too dirty. The story had darker, uncomfortable and contradictory elements, but the film often prefers a kind, melancholic and almost Capra-like tone. That makes it pleasant, but it also takes away depth. Manchester was fascinating because he could be funny and frustrating, tender and manipulative, smart and stupid. The film touches all of that, but it does not always dare to push.
Living hidden inside a Toys "R" Us is the most cinematic part. It has something absurd, childish and sad: an escaped adult surrounded by toys, surviving like a ghost inside a store. That image sums up the character: someone hiding in a place associated with childhood while running away from adult responsibilities. There the film finds a metaphor without becoming solemn.
I liked that it is not just a robbery film. The heists matter, but not as much as Jeffrey's inability to cut ties with his past. When he is already out of state and could disappear, he returns. And that is when you want to shout at him. He has been told to forget what came before, to start over, not to look back, but he cannot. His fall does not come because the police are brilliant, but because he sabotages his own escape.
That is the most interesting point: he can be very smart when it comes to opening roofs and hiding, but he is clumsy at living. He has imagination for crime, but not maturity for freedom. And that contradiction makes the film more attractive than a simple "likeable criminal based on true events". Though it is also true that it could have been harder on him, more uncomfortable, less willing to protect his charm.
In the end, for me it remains a good, pleasant and limited film. It is easy to enjoy, it has a powerful true story, Tatum is very good, Dunst adds a lot and there are moments of humor, tenderness and unease. But it also becomes a little soft and does not explore everything juicy about the character. It interested me, entertained me and left me thinking about how strange this man was, although I do not see it as a fully rounded film.
The film is part crime comedy, part odd romantic drama and part portrait of a loser who believes he controls his life more than he really does. I did not see it as a great film, but I did see it as a pleasant, curious and easy story to follow. It has that "this cannot have happened" quality that hooks you, and Tatum works very well because he makes credible a man with charisma, innocence and enormous irresponsibility.
I like that the character is not presented only as a charming thief. The film tries to make him likeable, yes, but it also lets you see that he is not right. The dentist scene sums up his way of acting very well: he looks for a quick way out, believes he controls the situation and ends up causing a much bigger disaster. He is not evil in the darkest sense, but he is reckless, selfish and dangerous because of that childish way of thinking everything can be fixed on the go.
Tatum carries almost the whole film and is very good. He has a natural sympathy that helps you understand why people lower their guard with Jeffrey. At the same time, beneath that smile there is something sad and displaced. It does not become a very harsh portrait of a criminal, because the film softens his edges quite a bit, but it does give the character a recognizable human oddness.
Kirsten Dunst brings a lot. Her Leigh is not just "the woman who appears so the thief can have a normal life", but someone with tiredness, intelligence and wounds of her own. I especially liked when it becomes clear that she has put the pieces together and is setting a trap for him. There the relationship changes: it is no longer just him hiding his secret, but her understanding more than she says.
The chemistry between the two is one of the best things. Not because you simply want everything to go well for them, but because there is something uncomfortable in that relationship. He needs to be loved, needs to invent an acceptable version of himself, and she wants to believe in the possibility of calm, even as she begins to notice that something does not fit. That sentimental side sometimes stretches, but it prevents the film from being only a string of crime anecdotes.
The problem is that Cianfrance does not seem to want to get too dirty. The story had darker, uncomfortable and contradictory elements, but the film often prefers a kind, melancholic and almost Capra-like tone. That makes it pleasant, but it also takes away depth. Manchester was fascinating because he could be funny and frustrating, tender and manipulative, smart and stupid. The film touches all of that, but it does not always dare to push.
Living hidden inside a Toys "R" Us is the most cinematic part. It has something absurd, childish and sad: an escaped adult surrounded by toys, surviving like a ghost inside a store. That image sums up the character: someone hiding in a place associated with childhood while running away from adult responsibilities. There the film finds a metaphor without becoming solemn.
I liked that it is not just a robbery film. The heists matter, but not as much as Jeffrey's inability to cut ties with his past. When he is already out of state and could disappear, he returns. And that is when you want to shout at him. He has been told to forget what came before, to start over, not to look back, but he cannot. His fall does not come because the police are brilliant, but because he sabotages his own escape.
That is the most interesting point: he can be very smart when it comes to opening roofs and hiding, but he is clumsy at living. He has imagination for crime, but not maturity for freedom. And that contradiction makes the film more attractive than a simple "likeable criminal based on true events". Though it is also true that it could have been harder on him, more uncomfortable, less willing to protect his charm.
In the end, for me it remains a good, pleasant and limited film. It is easy to enjoy, it has a powerful true story, Tatum is very good, Dunst adds a lot and there are moments of humor, tenderness and unease. But it also becomes a little soft and does not explore everything juicy about the character. It interested me, entertained me and left me thinking about how strange this man was, although I do not see it as a fully rounded film.
Mini Review: I found it entertaining because the real story is so unbelievable that it already carries the film by itself. Jeffrey Manchester is a very strange character: resourceful, likeable at times, very good at improvising and unable to measure consequences. He robs by entering through roofs, hides where nobody would expect, seems able to survive any situation and then makes such clumsy personal decisions that you end up desperate with him. The film is...
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