Roofman (2025)

This may not be the kind of film you'd expect from director Derek Cianfrance, but, to be fair, it's also not the kind of film you expect from pretty much anyone nowadays. It's a mix of drama and comedy that allows the main cast members to be as charming as possible, it's fairly low-to-mid-range when it comes to budget (for modern budgets anyway), and it's not using an established IP or an abundance of explosions and CGI to win over those with short attention spans.

Based on a true story, the film takes viewers on a journey with Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum). Jeffrey has a particular way of seeing the world. It doesn’t help him with job prospects, but it does help him when he decides to try his hand at robbery. Entering through the roof, trying not to hit anyone, Jeffrey soon has a reputation as “roofman”. The police soon come calling though, which leads to Jeffrey settling into a hiding space that is in the middle of a large toy store. And that's how he gets to know Leigh Wainscott (Kirsten Dunst).

A tale that would be impossible to believe if it wasn’t actually true, this is a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. You get to appreciate some of the resourcefulness of the main character, you get enough supporting characters to be equally interested in, and there’s a real bittersweet nature to hoping that the truth will out during the final act while also hoping that people are spared some broken hearts. The screenplay, co-written by Cianfrance and Kirt Gunn, certainly keeps the focus on Tatum's character, but it makes plenty of time and space for Dunst, as well as characters played by LaKeith Stanfield (a man who can help create false identities for people who can afford them), Peter Dinklage (the manager of the toy store), Ben Mendelsohn (a friendly pastor), and Lily Collias and Kennedy Moyer (the teen daughters of Leigh). 

Whatever you think of the real-life events adapted into film form here, none of this would work if it didn't have the right people being used in the right ways. Tatum gives one of his best performances in some time, making the most of his charm and his willingness to sometimes look foolish. Dunst is a sweet and lovely presence who manages to enjoy a strong connection with a new man in her life without seeming like a blinkered idiot. Collias and Moyer give very naturalistic performances, whereas Dinklage enjoys going in the other direction, and each artistic choice fits nicely with the respective roles. Stanfield is always good, Mendelsohn feels kind and caring without seeming too false, and the only downside of their inclusion is that they don't get even more screentime.

It's not a film that will have many people shouting about it from the rooftops, no pun intended, but Roofman is a low-key feature full of low-key delightful moments. The many scenes that could have felt too cutesy or saccharin are always balanced out by the constant reminders of sour ingredients that are lying in wait to infuse the third act. I would easily recommend this to people who want something entertaining that isn't tied to an extended cinematic universe, isn't making use of some currently popular genre trends, and feels somewhat original, especially when compared to so many other mainstream titles released in the past few years. 

7/10

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Mubi Monday: Good One (2024)

A feature debut written and directed by India Donaldson that makes use of a very small cast and some very pointed dialogue to explore some confrontational and relevant subject matter, Good One is a film that you could easily roll your eyes at before dismissing, considering the subtlety of the performances and the conversations, but I would implore you to give it your time. 

Lily Collias plays Sam, a young woman who goes on a camping trip with her father (Chris, played by James Le Gros) and his friend (Matt, played by Danny McCarthy). Both of the men have moments of struggling to remind themselves of how they used to be compared to how they are now, post-divorce and with many more mistakes having piled up in their lives. This doesn't make it the most comfortable environment for Sam, but she spends a lot of her time mediating between the two men, and even delivering some words of wisdom to them. One particular comment leaves her very unsettled though, but neither of the men seem particularly aware of just how much it affects her.

Considering not much seems to happen for the majority of Good One, it left me feeling absolutely devastated and stuck in a mode of self-examination as the end credits rolled. There's the overarching theme of divorced parents struggling to deal with their children, somehow not figuring that the decisions they made over the years would affect how their children perceive, and communicate with, them, but there's also something important being said about the constant tide of male energy causing erosion to the landscape of women. 

Donaldson handles everything perfectly, and has the confidence to leave plenty of time and space for viewers to keep asking questions as the film unfolds. She doesn't ever take things to anywhere near an extreme, which makes the viewing experience even more unsettling and thought-provoking because the problem being looked at is a lot easier to confront and attack if it's presented in some of the more extreme forms we're aware of.

Collias gives the kind of performance that deserves to gain her a lot of attention and praise, and I hope I get to see her in a lot more after this, while both Le Gros and McCarthy excel at playing the kind of men who try their best to wander through life being oblivious to a number of their own failings or inappropriate comments. They don't seem like truly bad men . . . but bad men so often don't. Whether they can eventually reckon with themselves, and their responsibility in the kind of society they might want Sam to be safe in, is almost entirely separate from their standard mix of jokes and arguments. Except it isn't at all separate from all of that, which is clear as we watch their interactions from the POV of a young woman.

Much like the main character, this is bold, uncomfortable, and intelligent. I highly recommend it to those after something challenging and brilliant.

9/10

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