Cheering for Roofman: An Exclusive Interview with Director Derek Cianfrance

      Flickering Myth’s Robert Kojder speaks with Roofman director Derek Cianfrance in this exclusive interview…

      Derek Cianfrance, best known for his somber relationship dramas, takes on a lighter tone with Roofman compared to his acclaimed Blue Valentine, while still staying true to his style. This time, he swaps Ryan Gosling for Channing Tatum, as the film tells the story of a courteous and sharp-eyed career criminal who ends up in prison, escapes, and seeks refuge in a nearby Toys "R" Us.

      After leaving one life behind, Jeff Manchester aims to change his identity and evade law enforcement for good, all while embarking on a fresh start and forming a heartfelt connection with Toys "R" Us employee Leigh (Kirsten Dunst). The film features a delightful blend of outrageous comedy, but it’s also a touching, genuine, and emotionally rich journey that aligns with Cianfrance's body of work. Derek recently traveled to Chicago for an interview, which I appreciated as a long-time fan of his films. Enjoy our conversation below:

      Hello, I’ve admired your work for many years… Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines, so this is an exciting opportunity for me.

      Oh, thank you. I’m excited to talk to you as well, Rob.

      What I find fascinating about this movie is that, although it’s more charming and lighter for you, it still feels closely aligned with your style as another form of deeply emotional relationship drama. Many other filmmakers might have focused solely on the absurdity and heists, neglecting the human aspect of Jeff (Channing Tatum) and his relationships. Was that aspect what attracted you to this project?

      Yes, it was! That was definitely a key factor. You know, Rob, when I first heard about this story, I saw many contradictions in his character, right? He would lock people in McDonald’s freezers while giving them jackets. He was a veteran who escaped prison and didn’t hide in the woods, but rather inside a toy store where he ate baby food. He had a plane ticket to freedom next to him in a car seat, waiting by the airport off-ramp, but decided to turn back to say goodbye to his girlfriend instead of ditching her. I realized that his humanity made him a less effective criminal, and if he had been more cold-hearted, he might have succeeded and we wouldn’t even know his story. He’d probably be living on a beach in Costa Rica. So the most compelling aspect of him was his humanity—it’s what you root for, and in a crime movie, you often find yourself cheering for the criminal to escape.

      Did his relationship with Leigh (Kirsten Dunst) also attract you?

      Absolutely! Jeff’s story is quite extraordinary. I spoke with Jeff numerous times, and at one point, I began to wonder if he was lying about his experiences. So, I started to reach out to people in his life, including Leigh, his girlfriend, and Ron, the pastor of the church. I expected them to express anger and say things like, “He was a jerk. He betrayed me. I hate him.” However, they both talked about him with so much love, describing him as a unicorn who had entered their lives. Leigh told me being with him was the greatest adventure of her life. I wanted that perspective to be central in the film. It evolved into a love story for me because Jeff’s significant errors and the harm he caused were overshadowed by Leigh’s forgiveness, grace, and understanding, making it worthy of being a movie in my eyes.

      I agree. You and your team either painstakingly recreated a Toys "R" Us or modified one in Canada…

      Well, I filmed the movie in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the true events occurred. I wanted to be surrounded by real people. So, Leigh plays a crossing guard in the film, Pastor Ron is the pawn shop owner, and the sergeant who arrested Jeff. Catherine is at the Red Lobster, challenging him about going undercover. The man who drove the prison truck, Charles, is actually the one who transported Jeff out of prison. The judge who sentenced him to 45 years plays the prosecutor; the guy in the car with Leigh at the end, when Jeff is arrested, was the judge. And the first officer who arrested Jeff is also in the car at the movie’s end.

      You really immersed yourself in the authenticity.

      I did. I went deep into it. I filmed in the actual courtroom where Jeff was sentenced and in the church where he and Leigh fell in love at Freedom Park, their first date spot. I tried to shoot in the toy store where he lived, but it had been transformed into a large church, so I had to find another location about 20 miles away in Pineville that was completely stripped down. It was a massive, empty concrete space of