Directed by Derek Cianfrance – 4.0/5 Stubs

The next volume of discount Tuesday movie dates is “Roofman” directed by Derek Cianfrance starring Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst. Let’s get one thing clear: this movie was not supposed to and will not blow your socks off or win any Oscars. But man, was it a worthwhile watch.

This movie was not just a crime comedy with some funny quips. It was intentional. It brought you through the story of Jeffrey Manchester. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Sure, it may have underplayed the armed robbery of fast-food workers. But that’s not the point.

The movie walked you through a story that is all too familiar to many Americans today. An under-appreciated young talent is taken advantage of by the U.S. government and then when they are done with it, they throw it by the wayside with no regard for what happens afterwards. The film tells a story of a man struggling to provide for his family and using the only skill he has to do so. It just so happens, that skill manifests as armed robbery.

I enjoyed being taken through this man’s journey of love and loss. Trials, tribulations, successes, failures, intentions, and consequences. We all know someone who we say “sure he’s not the best but he means well”. That’s exactly what we get with this movie.

Kirsten Durst is incredibly underrated here as well. I think her performance is better than Tatum’s. She incapsulates her character perfectly. A woman looking for love, but scared to jump off the deep end. Only to have her worst fears come true, it was all a lie. Or was it?

At the end of this movie I was just sad. The movie makes you feel for Jeffery, but also his family. You know they are victims, but in a way, he is too. Watching this is like watching Michael Scott go through hard times. He constantly makes the wrong choices with the best intentions behind them. The entire time, he is chasing what he had all along: the classic American family.

Like I said, this movie isn’t going for any awards. The writing, direction, acting, or screenplay won’t blow you away. Don’t expect to hang onto every word or be moved by any specific performance. But it’s a fun movie. You can be pulled to a different time and story for a couple hours and have a good time and feel a few feelings. It’s a fun, heartfelt movie that is worth a watch.