1 of 5 | Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst star in "Roofman," in theaters Friday. Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- Roofman, in theaters Friday, is an amiable true crime caper with an endearing romantic subplot. It's no Ocean's Eleven with elaborate, sophisticated schemes, but it takes a real-life story and makes it entertaining.
Channing Tatum stars as Jeffrey Manchester, a man who becomes known as the Roofman Robber after committing dozens of robberies by breaking through the store's roof, including at McDonald's and other fast food chains. He breaks out of prison in a simple but clever way and hides out in a Toys "R" Us store, leading police to suspect he's fled the area.
Director Derek Cianfrance channels his The Place Behind the Pines camerawork, following Jeffrey through Toys "R" Us as he explores the lay of the land and evaluates hiding places. He spends his first night evading security cameras, but quickly learns how to disable them entirely.
Jeffrey finds an inconspicuous storage area and makes a bedroom for daytime when the store is full of customers. He feeds on baby food and candy and even bathes in the bathroom sink, cleaning up after himself so he leaves no trace.
