While I wasn’t familiar with the surprisingly true story behind the new movie Roofman, the trailer caught my eye right away.
Channing Tatum stars as Jeffrey Manchester, a man who goes to jail after robbing a series of McDonald’s (crimes he tried to commit as politely as possible – no, really). However, that’s just the very beginning of the movie. Jeff escapes from prison and seeks refuge in a Toys “R” Us for months, living behind a display case. He falls in love with a store employee who doesn’t know who he really is (his cover is that he’s a government agent).
Unsurprisingly, this very complex series of lies eventually begins to unravel, and Jeff is haunted by guilt and regret as he realizes he has to either flee the country or risk going back to prison.
I really liked this movie, and I also appreciated that it’s unlike anything else I’ve watched recently. It manages to be funny, heartfelt, and also sad. Jeff is a very complex character, and Tatum gives a thoughtful and nuanced performance (the past few years, it’s been great to discover that Tatum has a lot more range as an actor than I used to give him credit for). Kirsten Dunst is also great as single mom Leigh Wainscott, the Toys “R” Us employee Jeff develops a relationship with.
Obviously, the movie does not seek to condone or excuse Jeff’s crimes, but it also highlights the tragedy in how veterans are sent into war zones and then shipped back home, and don’t always receive the care and support they need after their service.
I definitely recommend this film, and it’s one of those that I know will linger with me for a while.
Cyborgs, space travel, and stellar storytelling
Apple TV is where sci-fi shines
If you’re looking for great sci-fi TV series, I highly recommend Apple TV. I feel like sometimes this streaming service gets lost in the discussions about other service providers, like Netflix, Disney+, and the always-changing-its-name HBO Max (although to be fair, Apple TV did this recently too, dropping the + part of its name).
However, there are so many thought-provoking and imaginative science fiction stories to be found on Apple TV. While my favorite is still the alternate history series For All Mankind, I very much enjoyed the recent Murderbot.
I’d previously listened to the audiobook of the first novella this series is based on – All Systems Red by Martha Wells. The narrator of this story is Murderbot, a cyborg programmed to serve and protect humans (trust me, Murderbot is a far more charming and endearing character than the name “Murderbot” would lead you to believe).
Murderbot is often fed up with the ridiculous behavior of humans, but secretly has a soft spot for them. It keeps up a running commentary in its head and also loves to watch human soap operas.
Listening to the audiobook was a highly entertaining experience, and I think I prefer it just a little more than the live action series. However, Apple’s Murderbot show is still very much worth a watch, and Alexander Skarsgård does a great job playing a robotic nonhuman who is still sympathetic.
The Smashing Machine
Strong performances can’t quite save this MMA biopic from feeling a bit flat
Lately I’ve fallen out of the habit of watching movies that land outside my typical cinematic wheelhouse, and I’ve been wanting to get back into that. So even though I don’t know much about the sport of MMA (mixed martial arts), I decided to go see The Smashing Machine, a biopic about Mark Kerr, one of the pioneering fighters in the sport.
There are some really good performances in this movie, including Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. Johnson has starred in a lot of action flicks that haven’t necessarily gotten stellar reviews for their plots. However, this movie allows Johnson to show off more of his acting chops in the lead role of Mark Kerr. The deeply dysfunctional relationship between he and Blunt’s characters is both fascinating and heartbreaking to watch.
I was also impressed by Ryan Bader as Mark Coleman, Kerr’s best friend. It was touching to see the close and supportive relationship between two fighters, especially since they are competitors in what is at times a violent sport.
As much as I admired the performances, I felt like the movie overall was missing something. While I appreciated that we didn’t get a stereotypical origin story, seeing more about Kerr’s background on screen would have deepened my sympathy for the character. The script just didn’t have that certain special something that would have taken this from an OK watch to a great one.
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