“Roofman” (starring Channing Tatum & Kirsten Dunst) Review — I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!

In the dark movie theatre, my best friend leans over to towards me. He’s not usually one to talk half way through a movie, but he leans his mouth towards my ear and whispers,

“OW.”

I loosen my vice-like grip on his fingers and whisper back,

“Sorry!”

The hand holding was because I was very stressed. Five minutes later, my hand is over my mouth, trying to stifle sobs. Five minutes before, my hand had been on my chest, because I was melting at how lovely the scene was.

I hadn’t expected ANY of this.

Four months ago, I’d sent a text to him (my best friend, who’s also my ex) and his kid (my stepson) saying, “Who wants to go see this with me???”

Attached was the link to a trailer for Roofman, a movie that seemed to be a very funny action comedy, starring Channing Tatum. I’d loved him in the other action comedy The Lost City and this looked just as good. In anticipation of us having tickets, I’d been saying,

“I can’t wait! It looks like a ROMP”

— by which I meant the kind of light, breezy, non-challenging film that’s like a cosy little hug.

What I didn’t anticipate is that it would be one of the best films I’ve seen in years, maybe ever.

And the thing that made me love it so much?

Sure, the writing is excellent, the early 2000’s period stuff on-point and not showy, and even things like the camera angles are obviously all so well thought out. But in particular what got me?

How many EMOTIONS I felt. Literally I think all of them, at some point or other. Which connected me to the characters and, therefore, connected me to the movie.

When you’re telling stories for work, the SAME THING IS TRUE.

If you want people to care about your stories — and therefore care about your work, and about you — then you MUST include emotions.

Emotions are the portal through which we can connect to a story — because we haven’t had every experience — for example, I have never hidden inside a bike display at Toys “R” Us because I’m a wanted criminal who recently escaped from jail. But we have had every emotion — I know how it feels to be worried or lonely or tickled or excited, all the things that Channing Tatum felt in the movie and I subsequently felt in that cinema.

So the next time you’re including a story in a talk, presentation, blog post or social media post, make sure you answer the question:

HOW DID YOU FEEL.

And make sure you go see Roofman. Bring tissues. And a friend to clamp you hand around.

My question to you: what’s the best movie you’ve seen recently? I love recco’s! Bonus points if you include the trailer or why you loved it. Lemme know in the comments below!!!

You rule!

xx (Yes Yes) Marsha

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